Despite Not Making the Open Championship Cut, LIV Golf Defector Celebrates a Euphoric Moment That Tops the Major Glory

Despite their successful outings at the first three majors of the year, LIV players fell flat on their faces during the recently concluded Open Championship at Hoylake. Among the 16 players who appeared in the tournament, seven failed to make the cut. Out of the ones that stayed to play on the weekend, Patrick Reed and Cam Smith had the best finish, tying for the 33rd spot.

But, despite missing the cutline at the prestigious event, one 24-year-old LIV pro has much to be excited about. A recent social media post has revealed the golfer’s amazing new personal milestone, inciting delightful reactions from the golf community!

LIV Golf defector ushers in a brand-new personal milestone

Not too many years ago, Chilean star Joaquin Niemann was the No. 1 amateur in the world. After turning pro, he racked up nine wins worldwide to surge up to the No. 15 spot on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). Consequently, his move to LIV in August of 2022 became the subject of much scrutiny in the golf world.

Since his defection to the Saudi-backed league, Niemann has seen considerable success, achieving top-5 finishes in tournaments in Boston, Bangkok, and Jeddah. Most recently, he also led his team, Torque GC, to a victory in the team event at LIV Valderrama. But, unfortunately for Niemann, he hasn’t had much success outside of LIV this year, missing cuts in two of the four majors.

But those setbacks are now behind him, as the LIV golfer has now gotten engaged to his girlfriend, Christina Hellema Puga! The Niemann-led team @torquegc_ took to Instagram on Wednesday to break the news, writing, “Our very own @joaco_niemann just got engaged.”

Christina, who has studied architecture, also posted on the social media platform about the special moment. Niemann also took to his Instagram story to share the news with his followers!

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LIV fans and well-wishers rushed to shower the happy couples with their blessings after the news came to light. Several well-known faces were also among those who congratulated the lovely pair.

Heartwarming wishes pour in for Joaquin Niemann and his fiancee

Joaquin Niemann’s hopes of nabbing a major title in 2023 may have been briskly dashed last Friday, but that hasn’t stopped the golfer from kicking off a new chapter of his life with his longtime partner, Christina. After the news of their engagement broke, people were quick to relay their best wishes to the couple.

LIV’s David Puig, who is part of Torque GC, shared the happy news on his Instagram story, writing, “Capitan y Capitana.” Niemann and Puig’s teammate, Mito Pereira, also congratulated the couple. Chilean professional tennis player Cristian Garin was also among the big names to celebrate the news, dropping heart-eye emojis under Cristina’s post.

One golf fan commented under the Torque GC post, writing, “Congratulations Joaco@Hellena !!!!” “Congratulations y’all,” commented another. “Increibleeee!! Felicidades,” read a comment from one Instagram user. Meanwhile, another golf enthusiast cheekily wrote, “YOU CAN DO ITTTTTT.”

While his appearance at Royal Liverpool was a forgettable one, Niemann will now be hoping to turn things around at LIV’s upcoming event. The league’s next tournament will take place at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster from August 11 to 13.

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Do you think Joaquin Niemann will fare better in his upcoming appearances than he did at the 151st Open? Let us know in the comments!