Why Joaquin Niemann’s Savage Dig at Golf’s Current State, Amid LIV Jeddah Win, Might Hold True

“Frustrating” is what Joaquin Niemann dubbed his situation as the pro shed light on the fact that he was still miles away from getting into the required ranking for all the majors. However, the golfer has still managed to get himself invited to two of the four major championships, including the Masters and the Open. Well, even so, he couldn’t help but take a jab at the state of the sport.

After his recent LIV Golf win, the Chilean professional took to an interview to speak about his eligibility in the majors. Meanwhile, as he did so, the athlete went ahead to take a blunt dig at the current situation of golf, all the while cracking a joke about the majors. After listening to the golfer, one can’t help but wonder if what he said holds any truth!

Joaquin Niemann’s jab at golf’s current state

“I’m more than happy about the way I’m playing,” said the athlete before going ahead to mention how he wants to keep on doing the same. Adding on, Niemann stated, “I want to keep on the same path, doing the same practice I’ve been doing, and keep hitting it the same way,” all the while expressing pride on how he played his game all week at Jeddah.

But even so, when asked about whether he is viewed as a favorite for the upcoming major at Augusta National, he jokingly replied, “How’s that possible if I’m like 100th in the world?” However, he was quick to follow it up with a wry smile as the interviewer responded to his remark with how he was better than that.

Regardless, the fact remains that the 2-time PGA Tour champ, who is currently ranked 72 in the OWGR, is unhappy with the current system of rankings that does not recognize LIV Golf players. Moreover, this is not the first time that the Chilean pro, who got dubbed the “hottest player in the world right now,”  spoke out about the lack of eligibility for the majors.

Well, you can’t blame the guy for having that opinion. Why? Well, the number of accolades that the golfer has raked in speaks for themselves. What’s more, his achievements are not just limited to the Saudi-backed league but instead have finished at the top even on the DP World Tour.

Joaquin Niemann is ‘The hottest player in the world’ for a reason

After the Masters Tournament last year, where he finished at T16, the professional did not have any notable finishes, that is, up until November. In the second-last month of 2023, the golfer was able to finish T5 at the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship with a score of 13-under, 271. But that was just the start of a set of scintillating finishes for Niemann.

He followed it with a victory at the ISPS Handa Australian Open, where he recorded a figure of 14-under 271 tied with Rikuya Hoshino and then went ahead to win the same in a playoff. Then came the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, the tournament that saw Rory McIlroy lift the cup. Niemann placed himself tied for 4th among the strong field of golfers at the tournament before going ahead to win the first LIV Golf event in Mayakoba.

That’s not all. Before winning the recent LIV Golf tournament in Jeddah, the Chilean managed to finish at T3 in the International Series Oman a while back, which saw Carlos Ortiz, another LIV Golf Pro, win the title of champion. This just adds to what Niemann has been talking about: the golf world not giving enough recognition to the players from the Saudi-backed league.

Niemann’s sarcastic jab at Majors after Mayakoba

After his victory at Mayakoba on the PIF-funded circuit, the first thing that the athlete said was the fact that he was not in the majors. Responding to the question on whether he wants to play in the same, he responded, “Oh yeah!” before continuing with a savage comment, “I gotta get in first.” Back then, he had not been deemed a special invite for the championship at the Augusta National.

But even so, he was visibly optimistic when asked about whether the LIV Golf win would grab the attention of the relevant bodies. “Oh, I hope so,” responded the golfer as he expressed his readiness to go and take part in the biggest events in the sport of golf. Fortunately, just a couple of weeks later, he was awarded a special invitation to the Masters.

Regardless of the invitation that the Chilean pro received, this situation is not something that Joaquin Niemann has been experiencing alone. Despite dishing out amazing performances on and off the breakaway league, a lot of golfers from the circuit are still way behind their counterparts on the PGA Tour in the Official World Golf Rankings. Nevertheless, one can only hope that the players get the recognition they deserve as time goes on.

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