Rising LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann wants to be the best

SINGAPORE – In a LIV Golf field comprising Major winners and former world No. 1s, Joaquin Niemann has emerged as one of the league’s standout performers.

The Chilean was far from being an underdog when he joined LIV in 2022 – he was the world’s top-ranked amateur for 44 weeks from 2017 to 2018 before turning pro and going on to notch two titles on the PGA Tour.

And the 26-year-old has continued to roll in the results on the greens since.

In the 2024 season, he was second in the individual standings with two wins and had eight other top-10 finishes on the 13-round circuit. He also claimed one Asian Tour victory at the Saudi International.

Niemann knows his resume may not be as impressive as some of his LIV peers, but competing alongside them has fuelled his desire to match their achievements.

He said: “It’s nice because I feel like there is a lot that I can learn from them... It’s also something to admire and something to look up to and something that I want to accomplish.

“To win the amount of tournaments that Phil (Mickelson) has won – he’s a Hall of Famer, which not many players have had the privilege to be – so that’s really admirable of him.

“They’re all different players, they all have their own characteristics. But to be around those types of golfers for me, as a younger player, it really kind of pushes me in a good way.”

Niemann is in town for the March 14-16 LIV Singapore at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course. He is tied-third with seven others after opening with a four-under 67.

At 26, he is the youngest team captain (Torque GC) and the only one below 30.

While he may not have the experience of six-time Major winner Mickelson or Ryder Cup veteran Sergio Garcia, Niemann believes he brings a strong drive to succeed.

He said: “I feel like being a captain that young, with the hunger that I have to become better and be the No. 1 player in the world is big, so I feel like I’ve got to try and energise the team in that way.

“For the three other players in the team (Sebastian Munoz, Carlos Ortiz and Mito Pereira), it’s good to have someone who has the hunger of getting better, to try to improve and have that energy to practise, try to get better and play tournaments.”

That same drive to succeed has spurred Niemann to compete in DP World Tour and Asian Tour tournaments in the bid to qualify for the Majors, as LIV events do not offer Official World Golf Ranking points.

His maturity also shows in his calm demeanour on the course – he rarely makes any big gestures or loses his cool when he is playing, no matter how intense the pressure is.

Though he shared that it did not come naturally.

After identifying that his mental game was a key area that he could improve on, Niemann worked on this during training sessions by simulating certain situations he might encounter in a tournament.

That include anything from making the last putt to win a tournament, to making the last 8-iron on the 18th for a birdie and win.

He said: “If I put myself in those situations when I’m practising, I can almost feel the pressure. Whenever I’m having the actual pressure, it’s something that I’ve already done...

“When you’re on the course and things don’t go your way, the only thing you can control is the way you look and think, so that’s something that I always try to work on.”

As Niemann continues to impress with one win in Adelaide in February this season, he insisted that there is more to work on.

The goal is to establish himself as one of the world’s best, as well as a victory at a Major.

In 2024, he finished tied-22nd at the Masters, joint-39th at the PGA Championship and tied-58th at the British Open. His best performance in a Major was at the 2023 Masters, where he was tied-16th.

He said: “I feel like I’m getting closer. I feel like I have a lot more to accomplish, there’s a lot I have to improve and a lot I have, results-wise, to chase down. But it’s definitely my goal.”