SAINT QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES,
France – Joaquin Niemann is LIV Golf’s top player this year, at least in terms of season-long points standings, which is both a cause of pride and frustration. Still only 25, Niemann has won two LIV Golf events, competed in three major championships, and has been candid when asked about the lack of recognition his achievements in the contentious league have in the larger picture of the game.
The Chilean golfer, who opened the Olympic Golf Tournament with a 5-under-par 66 at Le Golf National, declared, “I don’t think it’s fair,” on Thursday. Niemann has refrained from speaking about it since winning LIV Golf’s Mayakoba event in February, and he has continued to do so when the Masters and PGA Championship awarded him slots in their events this year in recognition of his excellent play outside of LIV Golf.
Beyond his sense of satisfaction in representing Chile in the Olympics, Niemann’s excellent start is significant. Taking first place here guarantees a berth in each of the four major tournaments come 2025. Although he finished three shots behind first-round leader Hideki Matsuyama, he accepted the truth, which he attempted to downplay.
“Obviously I’m trying to win and whatever comes after that, it comes,” Niemann said. “I’m here just to have a good week and enjoy that and we’ll see what it brings after that. “If you didn’t have those four majors (exemptions) for a win, I would have the same intensity. I will have the same motivation to win. I feel like this is the Olympics and got to focus more on winning medals than winning my way into the majors.”
One leads to the other. Along with teammate Chilean Mito Pereira, Spanish players Jon Rahm and David Puig, Polish player Adrian Meronk, and golfers Carlos Ortiz and Abraham Ancer from Mexico, he is one of seven players participating in LIV Golf. The only player spared from every major next year is Rahm. In the opening round, Ortiz also had a strong start. On Tuesday, he voiced his displeasure with the ranking point system.
Niemann admitted that he was proud to be representing his nation at the Olympics after competing in the 2021 games in Japan, where the COVID-19 limitations prevented spectators from attending, which dampened the mood. Niemann relished the mood amidst the boisterous audience on the opening day.
“It does feel a little different,” Niemann said. “I grew up representing my country and using these colors and having my flag on my side. So it does feel like back in the day when I was able to play for my country and with teammates. It does feel like back then. It does feel more special than any other golf tournament.”
Niemann’s advantage over Sunday’s winner of the UK event, Jon Rahm, in the LIV points race seems a little shaky with two events remaining on the schedule. He is now 24 points behind, and the tournament winner receives 40. In that competition, Niemann tied for second place, capping an impressive season on LIV Golf in which he has posted nine top-10 results in 11 starts.
Undoubtedly he’s disappointed there’s not been a better showing in the major championships, where high finishes in any of them could have meant a return in 2025. He tied for 22nd at the Masters, tied for 39th at the PGA Championship and tied for 58th two weeks ago at the British Open.
Niemann attempted final qualifying for the U.S. Open but missed a spot in the field. He earned a spot in the Open by winning last December’s Australian Open, a victory that also got the attention of the Masters, which offered him a special exemption. The PGA also gave Niemann an exemption. That Aussie Open win was part of an overall attempt by Niemann to earn Official World Golf Ranking points outside of LIV Golf. After last year’s LIV season concluded, Niemann finished fifth at the Australian PGA and won the Australian Open, which gave him membership on the DP World Tour.
He took advantage of that by finishing fourth in January at the Dubai Desert Classic and then added a third-place finish at the Oman International Series event.
Niemann had climbed as high as 64th in the OWGR after the Dubai finish but with only four ranking events since and limited success, he has slipped to 110th. The top 50 in the OWGR at the end of the year are assured of a spot in the Masters. “I feel like it’s what I do and I feel like right now, there’s a little bit of a crisis and things that have to be fixed,” Niemann said, referring to the impasse in the game that sees the PGA Tour negotiating with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, which backs LIV Golf. “I just play another week of golf and try to earn my way into the majors, and that’s what I did last year.”
He was unsure what it might mean after the LIV season concludes next month.
“I would love to play some DP World Tour events. I don’t know if I’m going to be allowed or not, but yeah, I would love to play some events,” Niemann said. “If I can get some World Ranking and see if I can get any spots into the majors, yeah.”
Niemann will face possible fines and suspensions prior to teeing it up in any DP World Tour events but it’s a situation that can be resolved. Rahm faces the same issues in his attempt to play enough DP World Tour events in order to be eligible for the Ryder Cup. For now, Niemann will focus on his golf, which saw him making an eagle, four birdies and a single bogey in the opening round.
“It was a good start,” Niemann said. “I played solid for the whole day. My problem is two tee shots on the last two holes but other than that it was a great day. Gave myself a lot of chances, hit good iron shots. Good day.”
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