In 2022 – the first season for the LIV Golf League – the dominant player, by far, was Dustin Johnson. Every year since the race for that top honor has gotten tighter and the winner has changed.
In 2023 it was Talor Gooch. Last year it was Spain’s Jon Rahm. And now – going into Friday’s start of LIV/Chicago at the Bolingbrook Golf Club – it figures to be Chile’s Joaquin Niemann. He’s won five tournaments this year including the last one, in the United Kingdom two weeks ago.
“I don’t know if that’s momentum or not,’’ said Niemann after returning to Bolingbrook. “I feel like I’ve just got to keep doing what I’ve been doing.’’
Last year he couldn’t chase down Rahm. He won their head-to-head battle at Bolingbrook in what was then the LIV Individual Championship for the season. This year the tourney designated for that honor is next week in Indianapolis. Point standings when it’s over will decide the winner, and Niemann has 206.80 points to Rahm’s 169.16.
That sounds onesided, but Rahm still believes he has a chance and Niemann agrees.
“I know it’s going to be tough,’’ said Niemann. “Jon’s playing amazing golf. I know how good a player he is. I was in a similar position last year, and I don’t want to finish it the same way. I’ve just got to go out and play golf.’’
The stop at Bolingbrook, a course designed by Arthur Hills, proved tougher than expected for LIV’s started studded 54-man field last year.
“I played great. I remember the course was a lot of fun to play. It was really firm and windy. Conditions were unbelievable,’’ said Niemann. “I was happy with my performance. I gave it everything I had. That was the best I could do, and it wasn’t enough.’’
Though his wins have been piling up this season Niemann recently changed his coach and his caddie. When asked about it this week he said it was a “tough question’’, wouldn’t discuss it further and quickly ended the press conference.
Though he’s second in the point stands Rahm hasn’t won this year.
“The only thing left to do this year is get a win,’’ he said. “For there to be a realistic chance for me to win it all again starts with a win here, obviously combined with Joaquin maybe not having a great week. I need that going into next week (in Indianapolis) with a realistic chance and hopefully have a showdown again in the last event.’’
Niemann and Rahm will play together in Friday’s first round with Bubba Watson completing the threesome off Hole 1. The shotgun start is at 11:05 p.m. Friday, 12:05 on Saturday and it moves up to 10:05 a.m. for Sunday’s final round.
LIV NOTES: Last pre-tourney event was a pro-am at Bolingbrook on Thursday….The tour announced that the season-ending Team Championship Aug. 22-24 at The Cardinal at St. John’s Resort in Plymouth, MI., will have a new format. The event will start with a Wednesday play-in match between the Nos. 12 and 13 teams from the season-long standings. The remain 12 teams will go through two days of match play starting on Aug. 22 with the survivors deciding the title on Sunday at stroke play.