Sleeper Picks: Quicken Loans National

In a PGA TOUR career that lacked the sort of highlights he may have envisioned for himself, Jim Jamieson could at least point to one that carried enormous personal satisfaction. At Sunset Ridge Country Club on the outskirts of Chicago, Jamieson in the summer of 1972 was a local kid, playing in front of family and friends from his hometown of Moline at the Western Open. Though he built an impressive eight-shot lead through 54 holes, Jamieson only had to look up and down his gallery to realize what was at stake that Sunday. “I couldn’t let them down, but I’ll admit I was nervous when I started,� Jamieson told reporters after closing with a 69 to finish at 13-under 271 and win by six. He choked back his emotions and kept accepting congratulations from well-wishers. “I’m still in a Twilight zone.� It would be the only win in Jamieson’s nine-year PGA TOUR career, but the relative quiet of his pro success isn’t what defined the man who died Wednesday at 75. Instead, Tony Navarro – a longtime caddie who grew up in Moline and considered Jamieson a sort of mentor – gushed about “a real sweetheart, a gentleman� and a moving force to bring the PGA TOUR to their hometown area. “He was very much a part of starting the Quad Cities Open (now the John Deere Classic),� said Navarro. “All of us in the area were very proud of him for that and happy that he brought it here.� Having advanced from the caddie ranks at Oakwood Country Club in Moline to star for Oklahoma State’s 1963 NCAA Championship golf team, Jamieson made it onto the PGA TOUR in 1969 at the age of 26. His relatively late start is owed to a reason that few young golfers could relate to – Jamieson served a military stint in Vietnam. Jamieson played the bulk of his 236 tournaments between 1969 and 1977 when he broke a hand and decided to retire. His best season was 1972, when he won the Western Open and a few weeks later produced his best finish in a major, tied for second, two shots behind Gary Player at Oakland Hills in the PGA Championship. He was 15th on the money list that year, then was inside the top 60 in 1973 and ’74, but 1975-77 was a rough stretch for Jamieson and he chose to accept a job at the Greenbrier Hotel in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The area became home for Jamieson, who befriended his predecessor at the Greenbrier, Sam Snead. “That gave him a lot of stories to tell,� laughed Navarro. “And Jim did love to tell stories and listen to stories. He was a nice man.� When he triumphed at that 1972 Western Open, Jamieson became the first Illinois golfer to win that tournament since the legendary Chick Evans in 1910. So important a win was it for Jamieson that he took $2,000 of his $30,000 first-place prize and donated it to the Evans Scholars Foundation. Years later, Jamieson was inducted into the Quad-Cities Sports Hall of Fame and put his PGA TOUR career into perspective. “I didn’t have enough killer instinct,� he told reporters. “But golf has really been good to me. I have no regrets.�

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Before the week began at The RSM Classic, Joaquin Niemann pledged the entirety of this week's winnings — as well as an additional $5,000 for every birdie and $10,000 for every eagle — toward a costly infusion that his one-month-old cousin will need in order to survive. Niemann earned $136,450 toward the cause, an admirable sum that drew the family closer to its ultimate goal. The only problem is that Niemann and his relatives need more than $2 million in total for the coveted medicine they so desperately require. This is the stark reality that faces Niemann and his family, who are in a race against time to save the life of Rafita Calderon, whose father, Felipe, is the cousin of Niemann's mother. Rafita, born on Oct. 21 in Talcahuano, Chile, was recently diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which essentially is a breakdown of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It is one of the leading genetic causes of infant death. "I'm just thinking about him," an emotional Niemann said Saturday, after taking a minute to compose himself. "I love him and his family, they're really nice. It's sad to see things like this happen. So it's kind of like a mission for me to help out for them. They've been so nice to me since I grew up, since I was a kid, so I just feel good by helping back." A week after his birth, doctors discovered Rafita was battling hypotonia, or low muscle tone, which led to a series of consultations and tests until specialists eventually determined his diagnosis. The rare disease — which affects roughly 1 in every 6,000 to 10,000 babies, according to the Cleveland Clinic — can lead to difficulty moving, eating, breathing and swallowing. Luckily, there are solutions available that can save Rafita. But the price tag is significant. "When they told me he was going to have a really bad disease, I didn't realize what it was," Niemann admitted. "I didn't put much attention on it, and then a couple days go on, they tell us the bad news, and that this medicine was this much amount of money." Only palliative treatments that would delay the advance of the disease existed until last year, when a game-changing drug known as Zolgensma first entered the market. Available predominantly in the United States and Europe, the one-time injection — which was approved by the FDA in 2019 — is billed as the best treatment yet to give children a chance at a normal life. Naturally, this scientific breakthrough comes at a steep cost — $2.1 million, to be exact, according to the Calderon family. Making matters even more complicated, it is only available to children under 2 years old. Rafita's parents say that the best possible outcome for his well-being would be to receive the drug before he turns 100 days old. Time is of the essence. "After they told me that news," he added, "I probably seemed like I was going crazy. Like, what can I do to help out?" The answer lied in both Niemann's own financial contributions and the desperate plea for aid he and his family have begun in both Chile and in the United States. In addition to this week's contributions, the 22-year-old superstar will again donate his earnings from the Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by UNIFIN to the cause. He will continue donating $5,000 for every birdie and $10,000 for every eagle. Back in Chile, the family's situation has garnered national media coverage, and professional soccer players have also pledged to donate for the cure, Niemann said. More is sure to be required. As such, the one-time PGA TOUR winner and Presidents Cup member is anxious to spread the story amongst his fellow peers on Tour and the fans that follow him. The family has launched a campaign, #SALVEMOSARAFITA, to raise money for the cure. In the U.S., Niemann has started a GoFundMe page that fans can donate to here, which through Sunday afternoon had raised more than $47,000 "If I’m able to help," Niemann said, "it would be amazing. It would be a dream come true for me." And for Rafita.

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PGA TOUR statement The PGA TOUR is heartbroken by the tragedy and lives lost at Robb Elementary School. The TOUR has such a strong presence in Texas – including this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge – and we are joining with our numerous Texas-based tournaments across all three Tours in supporting VictimsFirst to assist families of the deceased and survivors. To participate or for more information, click here.

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