You have to see Sergio Garcia’s bunker tantrum to believe it

LOS ANGELES - Joaquin Niemann's last two starts produced confidence-boosting runner-up results, but it is a victory of sorts from off the golf course that has the young Chilean star fired up ahead of The Genesis Invitational. Niemann's quest to help raise over $2.1 million for treatment for his infant cousin Rafita Calderon, who suffers from Spinal Muscular Atrophy, was successful and the youngster was administered his first dose this week back in Chile. The International Presidents Cup star first brought the plight of his young relative to light late last year when pledging $5,000 for every birdie and $10,000 for every eagle in addition to his earnings at The RSM Classic, which totaled $152,450. He also donated his winnings from the Mayakoba Golf Classic ($65,262.85). On Wednesday in Los Angeles, he was all smiles when recounting the latest news as he rejoins the TOUR following a trip home to Chile that came after he was second at both the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the Sony Open in Hawaii in January. "It’s been an amazing last couple days. We got the whole money for the medicine and Rafita's father got to fly here to the States to go get the medicine and then bring it back to Chile," Niemann beamed. "Rafita got the medicine a couple days ago, which was amazing ... and right now he’s doing great. It’s been a couple days where he has been in the hospital waiting for how he reacts ... but they sent me some pictures and he looks stronger, he looks happy." Niemann was also complimentary of all those people who did their part in the fund raising. "It was more amazing to see the whole TOUR and all the people, all the companies, that were supporting me. We raised so much money in such a short period ... and it gave us a lot of faith for Rafita," Niemann added. "It’s really amazing what everybody did in those couple months to raise so much money." Niemann says it is real-life fights like that of Rafita's that enable him to remain positive rather than negative about the two missed chances to claim a second TOUR win in Hawaii. The 22-year-old lost a playoff in Maui to Harris English and was passed by a charging Kevin Na in Honolulu, but Niemann says those disappointments aren't even in the same realm of what was happening back in Chile. His positive nature was a game changer for Rafita's father Felipe, also. "Once we got the news it was a little shocking in the beginning. I didn’t believe it was true, and then a couple days after I called Felipe and Rafita, and it was a really hard moment," Niemann said. "They were crying, I was crying, too. It was tough. But after that I think it was really helpful to be positive. I remember I was calling Felipe and he was like why has this happened ... just being negative. I was trying to push him to be more positive and tell him that I get to help him here in the states, because in Chile, it was really hard to get the $2 million but for me being here, getting more connections, using social media, all this stuff helps. It was beautiful." With his mind feeling free and his body refreshed Niemann has now set his sights on trying to turn the energy into results on the course. He sits eighth in the FedExCup and primed for a great season. "If I’m playing good golf, if I’m playing my best golf, I think I’m one of the best players in the world," he says. "I need to have that confidence in myself, and I know if I’m playing my best golf I can win anywhere."

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NASSAU, Bahamas — Jon Rahm turned a potential shootout into a Bahamas breeze Sunday, closing with a 7-under 65 for a four-shot victory in the Hero World Challenge. Starting the final round in a three-way tie with Tony Finau and Henrik Stenson, Rahm took the lead when Finau made bogey on the par-3 eighth hole, and the 24-year-old Spaniard never trailed the rest of the day at Albany Golf Club. Finau was the last challenger until the 14th hole, when he went from a sandy area to a bunker and over the green, leading to double bogey. Rahm made birdie on the hole, and suddenly had a five-shot lead without much trouble to get in the way. Rahm ends his year with three victories, just like in 2017, his first full year as a pro. And in some respects, it was a fitting end. Even with his individual trophies, no moment for Rahm will top facing Woods in the Sunday singles at the Ryder Cup and beating him on the 17th hole, putting the first point on the board for Europe that day. And then Rahm ended his year with Woods handing him the trophy from his holiday event. “That Sunday with Tiger is still the most emotionally, most important moment of my golf career,” Rahm said. “It means so much to play against Tiger. A couple months later, to win his event, it’s really special.” Even with a runaway victory, there was a small measure of drama on the final hole. Justin Rose, needing to finish in a three-way tie for second to return to No. 1 in the world, closed with a 65 and was in position to go back to the top of the ranking until Finau rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt for a 69 to finish alone in second. Brooks Koepka, who did not play this week, remains No. 1. Rose has one more event left in two weeks at the Indonesia Masters. Finau, meanwhile, cracked the top 10 for the first time in his career at No. 9. The tournament host was never in the picture until it was time to hand out the trophy. Woods got off to another rough start, rallied on the back nine and had to settle for a 1-over 73 to finish 17th against the 18-man field. He finished 19 shots behind, the biggest gap this year from the winner over 72 holes. “Overall, it was a long week, but one that I hope the players enjoyed,” Woods said. That starts with Rahm, who previously won the CareerBuilder Challenge on the PGA TOUR and the Spanish Open on the European Tour. He fell behind briefly when Finau rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 second, only to fall back into a share of the lead when a 4-foot par putt lipped out at No. 4. Rahm took a two-shot lead to the back nine with a 4-hybrid to 12 feet on the par-5 ninth that set up a two-putt birdie, and he held his own until Finau’s double bogey. Rahm, making his first trip to the Bahamas for this event, figured out early that the key to scoring at Albany were the five par 5s and two reachable par 4s. He made birdie on all seven of those holes Sunday. Stenson was only one shot behind when he made the turn, but the Swede made only one birdie on the back nine and finished alone in fourth. Patrick Cantlay was 12 shots better than Saturday, closing with a 64 to tie for fifth with defending champion Rickie Fowler.

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