The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Niemann seizes glorious day at Riviera with 63 to lead by 3
LOS ANGELES » Joaquin Niemann had an idea how Riviera was playing Thursday when he saw no one from the morning draw posting better than a 5-under 66.
He hit the ball so well in the Genesis Invitational that he didn’t even bother paying attention to anyone else. When his round ended, Niemann had an 8-under 63 to match the lowest score for the opening round at Riviera and build a three-shot lead.
“Sometime I think about a score,” he said. “Today I was hitting it so good, I had fun just getting into the shot. I didn’t really think of the score. But then on 18 I was thinking about. I wanted to make birdie so bad. I wanted to make one more.”
Niemann is the ninth player to open with a 63 at Riviera, a list that starts with Charlie Sifford in 1969 and was done most recently by J.B. Holmes in 2019. Four of the previous eight players to start with 63 went on to win.
“You always work to have these kind of days. You always know that you’re never going to have these days four days in a row. It’s a good way to start,” Niemann said. “I know it’s going to be different days during the week, so I’ve got to be ready for everything and have the best attitude for it.”
Jordan Spieth had seven birdies and joined a group at 66 that included Phoenix Open winner Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa, who had one of several big moments on the first tee.
It started with Tiger Woods, the tournament host to went from being a 15-time major champion to the starter on the first tee. He wanted to introduce Aaron Beverly, who received the Charlie Sifford exemption to play in the elite field. The tournament is celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the year Sifford — the first Black golfer to win on the PGA Tour — was born.
For Homa, it was a new experience on a familiar course. He grew up in Southern California and Riviera was the PGA Tour event he often attended. He had to fight back tears when he won last year. And he was a little nervous going to the tee and knowing he would be introduced as the defending champion.
“It was cool. I got a nice ovation,” Homa said. “And playing with two great guys, two of the best players of all time, added to that a little bit. But it was fun. I’ve been on this tee a million times watching and playing now, and to get to hear that was pretty special.”
He played with Dustin Johnson and Adam Scott, past winners at Riviera. Johnson has gone more than a year since his last win at the Saudi International, and it doesn’t appear that’s going to change. On the 10th hole, he went from fairway bunker to the back slope of greenside bunker, chipped it to a flatter lie, left the next one in the sand and made double bogey.
Collin Morikawa, another LA kid, and Justin Thomas were among those at 67. Even in ideal conditions — pleasant sunshine, very little wind — all but Niemann were held in check.
Half the field broke par. That included Jon Rahm, the No. 1 player in the world, even if he had reason to believe his 69 felt much worse.
He was second in the field to Niemann in the statistical category that measures play from tee to green. Only four players had a worse time puting.
Rahm raised his arms in mock triumph when he made a 4-foot birdie on the par-4 eighth, his 17th hole of the round. It was the secondlongest putt he made all day. The longest was on the next hole, when he made a 5-footer for par.