Joaquin Niemann has made a huge splash as a pro golfer, already earning his 2018-19 PGA Tour card through only exemptions and invitations, continually playing his way into contention and racking up a remarkable number of top-10 finishes with a fantastic weekend scoring average.
The PGA of America has apparently taken notice of what Niemann has accomplished in his short months as a rookie pro golfer, and they're inviting the Chilean to the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive in St. Louis.
Golf Channel reports its sister organization, Golf Channel Latinoamerica, learned of the exemption from Niemann's father, who told them his son was going to get to play in his first major championship as a pro. The PGA of America confirmed the exemption.
Niemann is scheduled to play in the Barracuda Championship opposite next week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, and then he'll play in the PGA Championship and Wyndham Championship to round out his season. Barring a win to secure instant PGA Tour status, he'll be ineligible for the FedEx Cup playoffs.
According to his father, Jorge, the 19-year-old Niemann will then return to Chile and spend the playoffs at home.
