Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Joaquin Niemann wins LIV Golf Singapore: Fireballs continue dominance
Reuters via Imagn Images

Joaquin Niemann recorded a bogey-free 65 on Sunday to win LIV Golf Singapore and soar to the top of the circuit's individual standings.

On the team side, captain Sergio Garcia's Fireballs GC turned in a sparkling 10-under par round to win its third consecutive team title. The team was eight shots behind at the start of the day.

Niemann's win at the Sentosa Golf Club was his second tournament victory in the past three events. And the victory was a decisive one, finishing at 17-under 196, good for a five-stroke victory over defending champion Brooks Koepka (65 on Sunday).

Ben Campbell (67) was six shots back at 11 under for the tournament and alone in third place, followed by Spaniard David Puig (66).

Dustin Johnson, who held at least a share of the lead in the first two rounds, struggled to a 73 and was part of a five-player group to finish eight shots back of Niemann and in a tie for fifth place.

Five of Niemann's birdies came on the front nine, which settled him for the rest of the round.

"Yeah, I was a little bit nervous," Niemann said following his fourth career LIV win. "You're always nervous before a round about what's going to happen. It's a game where everything could happen at any time, and starting the way I started playing, it really kind of freed me up a little bit for the rest of the round, starting with a birdie on the first hole, and then being able to birdie the third and the fourth.

"Yeah, I felt like because of the start that I had, I was able to be really, really free for the whole round."

Campbell, promoted to LIV this season, mixed six birdies and two bogeys on the day, forging on even when he knew first place was out of reach.

"It was amazing to see him. Man, that was some impressive golf," the New Zealander said of Niemann. "Yeah, I saw that and I knew with four or five holes to go if I could try and pick up a couple and come in and birdie 18 and that. But yeah, it was a good solid week and plenty to build on, which is nice."

On the team side, Garcia's Fireballs GC just keep building. It won the past two weeks in Adelaide and Hong Kong and bested Jon Rahm's Legion XIII team, which also finished 10 under for the day, by three strokes on Sunday.

The Fireballs' victory came despite Garcia suffering from bronchitis this week. He finished at even par for the week but was lifted up by the individual performances of Puig, fellow Spaniard Luis Masaveu (68) and Mexico's Abraham Ancer (69).

"This week was a tough week because I've been sick all week and haven't been able to help the team as much as I would have liked to," Garcia said. "To see the performance that my teammates put in to be able to get this win was pretty impressive."

Niemann will hope to stay atop the individual leaderboard this spring. Doing so would grant him an exemption into the U.S. Open. He has qualified for the other three majors, and the leading LIV Golf player not otherwise exempt for the U.S. Open after LIV Golf Korea (May 2-4) will earn entry to the major.

"Obviously it's one of the goals to qualify for the majors," Niemann said. "I feel like that's not my main focus. It's obviously something that it would favor me if I play good golf, but like I said before, I'm here to make my team win, to get a good result for them and motivate them to do those good results."

This article first appeared on Field Level Media and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

Green Bay Packers: Slo-Mo Video of Malik Willis’ TD Bomb to Matthew Golden Unleashes Wild Reactions
NFL

Green Bay Packers: Slo-Mo Video of Malik Willis’ TD Bomb to Matthew Golden Unleashes Wild Reactions

Green Bay Packers rookie wide receiver Matthew Golden just keeps on turning heads in the offseason. On Monday, Golden grabbed attention again after making a sensational grab for a touchdown off a pass from quarterback Malik Willis. Matched up against defensive back Keisean Nixon, the former Texas Longhorns star wideout secured a deep throw from Willis and took the ball to the house for a 46-yard touchdown. Nixon couldn’t help but joke about Golden while praising the first-year downfield weapon. “He sometimes acts like he’s a vet but I try to remind him that he’s a rookie,” Nixon said (h/t Mike Spofford of the Packers’ official website). “Other than that, M.G., helluva player. You can tell why he went first round. Strong at the catch point, strong hands, strong upper body. I think he’ll have a really good year.” Green Bay Packers fans react to Golden’s touchdown score in practice The Packers shared a slo-mo video of that connection between Willias and Golden, leaving fans with all sorts of excited reactions to it. “malik is the guy ‍ ️ no one wants to admit it,” said a fan on X. Another one said: “Malik for starting QB” From a commenter: “IVE SEEN ENOUGH MALIK WILLIS 4X MVP” “Finally we might have a 1000+ yard receiver,” a social media user posted. Via a different commenter: “@eamaddennfl He ran 4.2 how tf is he a 91 speed on madden boost his speed.” Said another: “Hey 2 throwing it to 22 might be the answer.” Willis and Golden could have more magic in store for the Packers, as there’s a chance they could see action this coming Saturday’s NFL preseason finale against the Seattle Seahawks at home.

Yankees Hit With Harsh Bullpen Reality
MLB

Yankees Hit With Harsh Bullpen Reality

The New York Yankees are keeping their playoff hopes alive, but what happens when they get into the dance is what counts. And right now, the expectations are not very high. The Yankees once stood tall in the MLB, holding a seven-game lead in the American League East and being the clear favorites to challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers for the World Series title. Since then, they've fallen to the verge of nonexistence in the postseason. They currently sit behind both the Toronto Blue Jays and the Boston Red Sox, with little hope of climbing back into the leader's circle before the end of the regular season. A lot of this has to do with their pitching. Trying to find some sort of rotation that works, New York has tested the waters with just about everyone. But before the postseason, they have few answers. So little in fact, that they're ranked one of the worst playoff team rotations in the MLB. Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter recently released his rankings for the MLB playoff rotations, and the Yankees sit 13th of 17 teams on the list. In his listing, he names Max Fried as the team's ace, with Carlos Rodon as another lock and Will Warren and Cam Schlitter as their Game 4 candidates in a series. "Fried had a 1.92 ERA through his first 17 starts and looked like one of the AL Cy Young front-runners, but the wheels have fallen off over the past two months. In his last seven starts, he has a 6.00 ERA and 1.56 WHIP, and he has completed six innings just twice during that span," Reuter writes. "Can he right the ship in time to pitch like the ace the Yankees were expecting when he inked an eight-year, $218 million deal?" The Yankees don't have answers seemingly anywhere. Since Fried and Luke Weaver have fallen off, the team's most consistent options have let them down. They have no closer with Devin Williams being more of a problem than a solution this season, and Luis Gil may be their only hope as they close out the regular season. A turnaround is needed, because right now, the Kansas City Royals (14), New York Mets (15), Cleveland Guardians (16), and St. Louis Cardinals (17) are the only bullpens believed to be worse heading into the playoffs. Make sure to bookmark Yankees On SI to get all your daily New York Yankees news, interviews, breakdowns and more! Don't Let Yankees Fallen Closer Fool You Yankees Infielder Joins Exclusive MLB Club Yankees Injured Veteran Returns for Revenge Game Yankees Sweep Cardinals With Ninth-Inning Rally Yankees Controversial Shortstop Out for First Time in 46 Games

Packers' blockbuster trade pitch adds Micah Parsons for huge price
NFL

Packers' blockbuster trade pitch adds Micah Parsons for huge price

Speculation linking Dallas Cowboys All-Pro edge-rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers continues to gain momentum as the star’s holdout amid stalled contract negotiations seems as far apart as ever. Parsons, two weeks ago, publicly requested a trade and continues to hold-in during Cowboys training camp, while there is a belief that Green Bay is attempting to pull off a blockbuster trade. Potential Packers-Micah Parsons Blockbuster Trade Package Parsons, 26, has posted 52.5 sacks through his first four seasons and is one of the most dominant players at his position. He is the kind of difference-maker who could cement Green Bay as a legitimate Super Bowl contender for years to come. But prying Parsons away from the Cowboys wouldn’t come cheap. "You’d want to hope to trade no more than three good young players for one elite player," an NFL executive and former general manager said to me recently of what a Parsons trade package might look like. Given that strategy, it isn’t difficult to envision Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst offering a package of players and picks that looks something like: Packers Trade: 2026 first-round NFL Draft choice, 2027 first-round draft choice, WR Romeo Doubs, EDGE Lukas Van Ness Cowboys Trade: Micah Parsons Trading two first-round picks is likely the starting point for Jerry Jones and the Cowboys in any Parsons negotiations. For the Packers, trading Van Ness would be offering a change of scenery for a former first-round draft choice who has yet to live up to expectations, and upgrading the position with a Defensive Player of the Year-caliber player. Meanwhile, shipping Doubs to Dallas clears a logjam at wide receiver, while helping the Cowboys round out a balanced receiving corps that would include CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens and Doubs as perhaps the most prolific collection of talent Dak Prescott has had in his career. Whether Parsons’ trade request is anything more than posturing remains to be seen, but if the Cowboys open up trade talks, this package could be the kind of trade that nets Green Bay a difference-maker.

Bryce Harper is first player to accomplish this in 2025 as Phillies remain hot
MLB

Bryce Harper is first player to accomplish this in 2025 as Phillies remain hot

Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper delivered a vintage performance at the plate on Monday night against the Seattle Mariners. His two-homer game carried the Phillies to a 12-7 win over Seattle, giving them back-to-back games with 11 or more runs. Both of Harper's home runs traveled at least 440 feet, making him the first player this season with multiple homers of that distance in the same game. His first homer came in the sixth inning off an 83-mph sweeper from Mariners pitcher Casey Legumina to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead. Harper topped that with a 448-foot shot in the seventh, hitting an 86-mph changeup for his second homer of the game to extend Philadelphia's lead to 11-4. According to MLB.com's Sarah Langs, Harper is the first Phillies player with multiple home runs of 440 feet or more in a game under Statcast (since 2015). It is the second time Harper has accomplished the feat, joining Yordan Alvarez, Willson Contreras, Joey Gallo and Jorge Soler as the only five players to do so. It was a complete team effort for the Phillies, who recorded 21 hits, 12 runs and four home runs one day after plating 11 against the Washington Nationals. Starting pitcher Ranger Suarez was equally impressive with a career-high 10 strikeouts across 6.2 innings of two-run ball. While Harper only had four home runs so far this month, Monday was a reminder of how lethal he can still be at the plate with three hits in six at-bats, two home runs, three RBI and two runs. He missed 22 games earlier this season due to inflammation in his right wrist, but seems to be returning to form during the stretch run. The 11 runs against the Nationals, who are in last place in the NL East standings, was not exactly eye-opening, but putting up 12 against a Mariners team that is battling with the Houston Astros for first-place in the AL West is certainly encouraging. Philadelphia (72-53) currently holds a 5.5 game lead on the New York Mets for the NL East lead. With three wins in its last four games, the Phillies are taking care of business on both sides of the plate and giving themselves a shot at another division crown.