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JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 10, 2018

Joaquin Niemann

Silvis, Illinois

THE MODERATOR: Go ahead and get started. Like to welcome Joaquin Niemann to the interview room here at the John Deere Classic. Joaquin, thanks for joining us for a few minutes.

Just a remarkable year that you're off to here on the PGA TOUR. Four top 10 finishes, nine starts, 19 years old. Really caught the attention of a lot of people watching how fast you're moving up.

With the finishes, including last week's Top 5 finish in Greenbrier, did you ever imagine you would come out and make this kind of impact on the PGA TOUR?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yeah, has been really great this year. Never thought I was going to make it like in my first couple tournaments. My goal was getting to the Web finals and try to make it through there.

But now that I'm here, feels really nice.

THE MODERATOR: Okay, with that, we'll open up and take some questions.

Q. (Indiscernible) Did you ever get down on yourself? Seems like you're always totally in the moment. Was there any time you felt frustration?
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yeah, I think after my first tournament as a professional. I figured out that I am able to (sound cut out.) Yeah, since after that week I figured out that I can make it to here playing couple good tournaments.

Yeah, after that tournament I missed two cuts in a row. I don't know it was frustration or no, but my game is still feeling really good, but my putting wasn't good enough those couple weeks.

So I just needed to be a little patient. Right after that, I start playing really good.

Q. What did you think of the course?
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yeah, being out here for my first week as a TOUR member is really special. I feel different. I feel like I'm relieve about making to the PGA TOUR. Yeah, I will try to enjoy my first week as a member and try to do my best also.

Q. What did you see about the course itself today?
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yeah, the course is really nice. I watching it on TV so really nice course. I think fits good for my game.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yeah, back in Chile, for what I was doing these couple tournaments here, it has been like -- like golf has been growing up so fast in Chile.

So I think it's good, because there is like a lot of small kids that are really motivated and want to make it to here. So it's really good to be watched by some little kids.

Yeah, I went back for one week like a month or two month ago and it was crazy. It was one week there and I couldn't stop doing things because all my friends were there; my family were really happy that I was there. It's always nice to go back home.

Q. What's been the biggest adjustment for you?
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yeah, I think the tough part is being out here by myself. I mean, I'm also really lucky that I got a really good team. My agent is really, really nice. My golf coach and everybody around me, I think I'm lucky of having all these people here around me. Yeah, I think everything has been working really easy.

Q. Have you developed any friendships with the guys out here yet? Is that a work in progress?
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yes, all the people here is really nice. Every time I walk across them they say like congrats of making it here. They're all really nice.

I been playing with the Mexican people. We can speak Spanish, so that's good.

Q. How are you handling all of this right now? Is it kind of mind boggling that you're in this position, or were you just sort of the expecting to have this kind of success and ready for it?
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yeah, I think I still haven't figured out what I have done. But, yeah, I mean, it's like a dream come true being out here playing on the PGA TOUR. It's a dream. I don't take it like it's big deal. I just try to make it look more like I would say like, I don't know, easier are like try to stay in the present. Not thinking about what I'm doing or what I'm going to do in the future. Just be patient and enjoy.

Q. (Regarding juggling.) Which do you do better?
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Golf. Definitely. (Laughter.)

Q. Juggling something you like to do?
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: No, I mean, I was just practicing it. I don't know, do something else.

Q. (Regarding turning pro. )
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: I was going to turn pro right after like Web finals, but we talk with my coach and we decided to end my career, like if I won the Latin American Amateur I turn pro right after the Masters.

So we thought that it would be nice to finish my amateur career in the Masters, so I think was a good decision.

Q. (Indiscernible.)
JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yeah, I was with Norman Xiong. I play with him now a year, two years ago junior events, AJGAs. It's really nice to be sitting here now sitting with him on a PGA TOUR event. It's nice.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you for your time, and good luck this week.

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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