LIV Golf Update: Tragic News Hits Joaquin Niemann Moments After Heartfelt ‘Major’ Outcry

Tragic news awaits Joaquin Niemann as even the maiden victory at LIV Golf could not help his major dreams. After joining the breakaway league in 2022, the Chilean golfer, for the first time, made it to the winner’s podium and celebrated the glory of an individual title.

However, the win could only grant him a check of $4 million, which is significant when compared to any other league, though what the win lacks is any Official World Golf Ranking points. Instead of a logical jump to a better position on the list, since there are no points, Niemann’s rank took a hard plunge.

Joaquin Niemann to miss out on majors

The Chilean golfer participated in three DP World Tour events, attempting to gain as many OWGR points as he could. That was because the European league gets the OWGR points which would catapult Joaquin Niemann’s rank to a desired place.

However, even after all the efforts put in by Niemann, his rank on the OWGR has fallen. The reason behind this could be that in the same week of his victory, the PGA Tour AT&T Pebble Pro-Am concluded, and the players received the OWGR points, jumping higher on the rankings. Whereas, even with his first LIV Golf victory, Niemann could not receive the same benefit and was pushed further down.

OWGR rejected LIV Golf’s appeal in the last season, smashing the dreams of golfers to play in majors as their ranks fell daily. Niemann himself, when talking about winning a major, exclaimed, “I gotta get in first.” And his dream of winning the majors could further go haywire as the bunkered posted on X that after his LIV Golf Mayakoba success, Niemann had fallen 10 spots on the OWGR, going from 64th to now 74th ranked.

The hard hit can be compared to another weekend winner, Wyndham Clark. Unlike Niemann, Clark’s victory rewarded him with 70  OWGR points and pushed his rank from 10th to 6th in the world. On the other hand, per his current rank, Niemann will be out on the upcoming Masters and the U.S. Open in July. The question remains, does the Chilean golfer deserve to be in the major?

Joaquin Niemann’s last three performances

Fortinet Australian PGA Championship: The first 2023-24 event for the Chilean golfer. Niemann finished solo fifth on the leaderboard with 13 under 271. His rank also jumped from 87th to 82nd on the ranking.

ISPS HANDA Open: This was the first victory of Niemann in the past two years after the 2022 Genesis Invitational. It gave him enough points to move into the top 60 of the world at 59th. However, when he started playing the Dubai Desert Classic, his rank had shifted to 70th again.

Read More: PGA Tour Pro Mocks Joaquin Niemann’s ‘Majors’ Woes With 1-Word Jab; LIV Golf Fans See Red: ‘GTFO!’

Hero Dubai Desert Classic: At the Classic, the Chilean golfer was first contending for a second victory at the DP World Tour. However, he settled with a T4. His rank went from being 70th to 64th. He certainly is one of the best golfers in the current season, and his performance speaks for him. However, now he stands outside of the top 60 and far away from his major dreams. Despite being a deserving candidate, will Niemann’s rank get better a week before the Masters start in April? Only time can tell.

Watch This Story | Moments After LIV Golf Reveals Their Mount Rushmore, Fans Fire Up Social Media With a Barrage of Verdicts