It wasn’t how Harris English might have imagined going wire-to-wire at the Tournament of Champions but after a windy, testy, nerve-wracking Sunday at Kapalua, the Georgia native won for the first time since 2013.
The final 18 holes at the wind-swept, ocean-front Plantation course and the non-stop parade of low scoring came to a grinding halt as some of the world’s stars took turns falling out of contention on a course that made it difficult to go low.
Overnight leaders Harris English and Ryan Palmer stumbled out of the starting blocks — Palmer bogeyed the first hole, Harris the second and they opened the door for a host of challengers but it was one special player who was tearing up the front nine three holes ahead of them. Joaquin Niemann, who has been on a sacred mission to raise money to raise money for an expensive medical treatment for his infant cousin back in Chile, was spectacular over the first nine holes.
Niemann, who was a ball-striking machine, made birdies at two and three, five and six then closed with two more at eight and nine to make the turn like no one else on the challenging day — he shot 30 with the winds kicking up in the 15-20 mile-per-hour range. After starting five back of English and Palmer, he was 22-under at the turn. And by the time the finished the first nine holes, even par efforts left English and Palmer chasing Niemann.
Palmer shot himself out of it when he found some of that nasty knee-high grass at the par three 11th and suffered a double-bogey five on the par three.
That turned it into a three-horse race when defending champion Justin Thomas showed that he would not go quietly. Thomas started four behind but started making up ground with four front-nine birdies then by the 15th, he was in position to go back-to-back as he added three more on the back nine to reach seven-under for the day. Up ahead of him, Niemann added three more birdies but would hurt himself by not getting a birdie at the par five 15th, a hole that was still surrendering birdies easily. Joaquin did make up for it with a birdie at 16 to get to 25-under. Once again, he hurt his chances at the finishing par five.
After a perfect drive, Niemann’s second on the spectacular, downhill 675-yarder came up just short of the green. No problem. The 22-year-old rising star chipped to inside six feet then when needed most, his putter let him down. He missed the birdie that would have taken him to 26-under. He posted 25 then planted himself at a nearby picnic table, watched and waited with good friend and final round partner Sergio Garcia to see what would play out.
J.T. came to the 500-yard plus 17 and his second came up short on the fringe. From there, his first putt stopped inside seven feet but he missed his par putt — a bogey that basically sent him to 18 needing an eagle to tie Niemann. He birdied 18 and came up a shot short and admitted he was distracted by what happened to him on Saturday when television mics caught him using a homophobic slur after missing a short putt.
“Golf wasn’t the main thing on my mind.” Thomas admitted after his finish. “Usually being four back going into Sunday I’m thinking about one thing and one thing only and that’s trying to win the golf tournament. Obviously had a lot of other things on my mind last night. I mean, I apologized yesterday. I don’t need to explain myself. I clearly screwed up. I made a terrible, terrible judgment call. But I thought a lot last night that, we grow a lot as people over time.”
That left Harris as Niemann’s last obstacle.
Harris birdied 15 to get to 25-under, and victory was within reach with a par-birdie finish. But he stumbled at 16 after his approach short of the green left him with a tricky pitch. He got it inside 10 feet but missed. Niemann and Garcia continued to watch and chatter in Spanish near the 18th.
Harris then set himself up for instant victory. After a good drive, his three-iron approach was incredible. He hit the right side of the green then watched the slope take his ball to the hole where it stopped just 10 feet away. He had an eagle putt to win. “Good shot,” was all Niemann said as he walked to a nearby putting green, hoping for a Harris miss and a playoff. He got his wish. Harris missed the victory putt and the two went back for a 73rd hole.
That was all it took. English hit another good drive left his second on the right fringe, 90-plus feet away in two then watched Niemann, who crushed his drive and was 30 yards in front of Harris. But when he needed it most, his ball-striking betrayed him. Niemann’s second barely cleared the ugly area short of the green, swept along the front then came back down the slope, burying itself in some long rough on the upslope. Harris’ third was a gem and he had a birdie putt from inside four feet.
Niemann’s third came out heavy, leaving him on the fringe, about 13 feet for birdie. He missed, English made and the drama was over.
English won for the first time since the 2013 season when he got his first two career wins. This was his third and biggest. He was obviously emotional afterward.
“It’s incredible. A lot of hard work. You think you’re never gonna get here again. Nobody’s given up on me. Nobody lost faith or hope in my golf game,” Harris said, speaking of his support group back on Sea Island, Georgia. “I’m happy with my team. I’m happy where my golf game is going.”
As for Niemann, his second place finish may have had the most meaning. He was a mere $100,000 short of the the $2.1 million needed to treat baby Rafita. With the $782,000 payday, it’s mission accomplished for one of the Tour’s sensational rising stars.
There was no unhappy ending for either Harris or Niemann. Under normal circumstances, neither player would have been in the field but with the pandemic-created expansion, they were.
It was drama befitting the opening event of this 2021 calendar year for the PGA Tour.
14 Comments
golf1234
Great too see Harris English win, he was due after a great 2020 season. Lets talk about what you did not talk about, Justin Thomas.
I am afraid his true colors emerged. Many a people in the limelight have lost their employment for saying less. He is an independent contractor, but the PGA Tour needs to come down hard, fine and maybe a six month suspension. His sponsors need to take a look as well! Just sayin!
Tom Edrington
I did not hear what J.T. said, I heard a lot of “F-Bombs” from others…..this would not have happened if the course wasn’t empty, we’re hearing stuff we’d otherwise never hear. Hey, stuff slips out in the heat of the moment….I’m not going to condemn J.T., everyone makes mistakes, let those without, caste the first stone….
baxter cepeda
Unfortunately JT put a damper on this event by stealing the show in the wrong way.
JT probably does not really believe any segment of society is incapable of braveness; but it seems that’s what his words implied.
While that is obviously not true for JT, he needs to realize something that is very true is that he comes from a part of America where many men whom look like him are very guilty of such discrimination.
We know JT is just a fiery golfer, which he normally uses to his advantage better than most; in part because he does not cross the line. Obviously he crossed it this time, and it cost his big time on and off the course.
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Someone whom for a very long time never came close to any visible fire, which imo led to a slump, was Harris English.
English had mastered not showing emotion as he quietly tumbled imo.
But a few years ago he changed all that. Harris started getting a little pissed off and he wasn’t scared to show it.
Since then it has been a steady climb to today, which included a noticeable ‘ahhh!’ When he missed that putt to win in regulation.
He was noticeably disappointed; as was I. The thinking is the young and clutch Chilean is going to take it now.
Nothing changed off the tee in the playoff as English was a full wedge behind.
But then all that balance between composure and fire for English shined.
He coolly made that birdie, which was no gimmie; essentially erasing the miss in regulation and all those years of self controlled frustration.
Super happy for Harris English. He is a great American golfer. Elite really. And he is finally realizing his potential by applying that ‘Goldie locks’ theory we though ‘my golfer’ JT had mastered.
Tom Edrington
Baxter, yes, Harris has been trending up for quite a while. As for J.T., he was basically calling himself a name, no doubt, me and all the good players I’ve known over the years have lambasted ourselves with all sorts of names which no society refers to as “slurs” He was “slurring” himself and no one else, as I indicated there were a half-dozen “F-Bombs” that I heard but there were so many more, no doubt…..If the mics caught the language that goes on between NFL players, there would be mass hysteria from all the left-siders.
baxter cepeda
You seem to be missing the point Tom. He is using a segment of society to lambast or slur himself. It’s way worse then any F bomb. And this is elite golf in 2020; not the dark ages.
Tom Edrington
People need to chill out…..I watched the broadcast and missed it, not sure how many people did or didn’t but stuff happens, he apologized and my bet would be it doesn’t happen again…..go listen to a rap record if you want to hear “slurs for consumption” yet there’s never any outrage over that stuff…..I’m giving J.T. a second chance, it’s the American way.
baxter cepeda
It doesn’t matter how many people heard it on tv. With so many twits out there, masses will hear about this.
He will get a second chance and get mostly past this because it will likely not happen again. And People like giving second chances.
Still, Jt, whom is known for F bombs as well, needs to be very careful with his behavior now because people will be watching him differently for quite a while until he proves he won’t say stuff like that again.
Sponsors cannot just chill out. The last thing they need is their sponsored athletes damaging their brands. Seems counterproductive.
As for the comparisons: Apples and oranges.
Comparing language from a top athlete from the sport with the highest of behavior standards to gangster rap and violent contact sports is a sign of a problem.
And btw even in those circles this kind of talk is increasingly unacceptable.
JT made a mistake. I really like JT. I’m just disappointed he is in this position. It’s not good for golf, which is genuinely working to shake its reputation for discrimination.
We all make mistakes. But I know JT is a good guy. Unfortunately a lot of people are not so sure anymore. Hopefully everyone can feel that way again. But he will have to earn it over time now.
Tom Edrington
Fortunately, those who really, really get after these things have focused all their energy on the soon-to-be former President and J.T. is a tiny, tiny blip on the national radar….
baxter cepeda
I’m hearing he lost Ralph Lauren
Tom Edrington
Correct, will have it as part of Monday newsletter, he’s most likely already got a big shipment from FootJoy going forward.
baxter cepeda
What does that mean ? Big shipment from FJ?
He will be lucky to keep Titleist and Fj considering they got rid of Piercy for something similar (I believe that’s what I heard)
Tom Edrington
I doubt Foot Joy will drop him……as for Ralph Lauren, I’ve addressed for Monday what has to be the supreme hipocrisy…..Ralph Lauren drops J.T. for a two second slur but continues to do mega-millions in sales in Middle East countries that have basically made homosexuality a crime punishable by prison and death sentences…..
baxter cepeda
Apples and oranges.
Selling (their goods) and buying (ambassadors).
Everyone sells in the Middle East. Still no one wants ambassadors making homophobic slurs.
Tom Edrington
I read a comment on another site from a person who sat courtside at NBA games and the slurs fly like hot dogs at a baseball game…..like I said, if our entire country went with the “one strike and your out” stance, we’d be in big trouble.