Joaquin Niemann made a splash in his pro debut.
The 19-year-old closed the Valero Texas Open with a five-under 67 on Sunday in San Antonio, good enough for a sixth-place finish and a $223,200 paycheck. He was five behind winner Andrew Landry.
Niemann was the No. 1 amateur in the world for the past 48 weeks before he turned pro and made his debut in Texas this week. He made the cut with rounds of 72 and 70, but he turned it on for the weekend, shooting 67 both days and finishing 12 under overall.
Niemann, who is from Chile, played in his first major at the 2017 U.S. Open but missed the cut (74-75). He won the Latin America Amateur Championship to gain a spot in the Masters earlier this month, but also missed the cut (76-77). Niemann’s stay as No. 1 amateur also got him invites to the 2018 U.S. Open and British Open, but he forfeited those when he turned pro. He’ll now have to play his way in again, but he’s off to a good start.
