LIV GOLF UNITED KINGDOM

July 24, 2024

Joaquin Niemann

JCB Golf and Country Club

Quick Quotes

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: I felt like I did pretty good other than three, four holes.

Q. How do you find links golf?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: I enjoy it. I feel like it's a different type of golf. Obviously you've got to be more creative. You've got to trust your trajectories. It's a lot more work on the pre-shot and a lot more visualization, and having the wind coming, a lot of stronger and different lies. It's fun. I enjoyed myself a lot there. I did a lot of stuff that I don't normally do out here. It's fun.

Q. How do you rate your major season as a whole? Is it frustrating? Have you been content?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Obviously I would like to contend in majors and it's something I'm working pretty hard on. I know sooner or later it's going to come and I'm going to have my chance. I'm just getting ready for that moment.

Q. Are you hoping next year there might be an easier way in for you guys to the majors?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: I mean, I believe that it's going to happen. I feel like they've got to pull for the best of the game, and I think that's the right way to do it, hopefully give us some spots out here on LIV and have the best players in there.

But yeah, I feel like there's also different pathways that I can probably take to get into, but ideally it would be nice for LIV and for the game that they have some spots for us.

Q. What do you think would be the best pathway for LIV players? Is it having 10 spots? What would be the ideal situation?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: I would say top 10 guys. There's definitely 10 guys, top 10 guys here that could win majors, and yeah, they can definitely give those 10 spots for us and have more competitive majors.

Q. Is it frustrating that you've still not got that, that it hasn't come yet?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yeah, it's frustrating, but at the end, I feel like I'm pulling hard for LIV Golf to improve, and I think that would be one of the ways that the game and LIV would improve. From my side personally, I feel like I'm going to find a way to be in the majors, so it doesn't frustrate me or put me out.

Q. Do you expect in 2025 for the majors to let you guys in? Do you expect something to change?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: I hope so.

Q. Do you think it could happen? Are you optimistic?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: I'm pretty optimistic. I think it will happen. I was the same way last year. I felt like we were going to do something for this year. It didn't happen, but I found a way to get into it. I got some invitations, which was nice.

I feel more optimistic for next season.

Q. Will you go play in the DP World Tour during the off-season again?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: If I can go and they let me play, I will definitely try to go because I feel like -- obviously I would like not to go and just be on LIV and get those spots, but the only reason -- if I'm able to go and play on DP World it's because of the majors and try to get my way in.

Q. You are free to go and play on the Tour?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: If I want?

Q. If you're free to go and play the DP World Tour.

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: If I'm free to go and play the DP World I might go and play because I'm pretty high on the rankings on the DP World. If I'm able, if they let me do it, I'll try.

Q. You were one shot out of the playoff, I think, three years ago. Was it a good learning experience? Was it frustrating?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: I remember that week. I didn't feel like I played that good. I felt like there was something else behind -- I don't know if it was playing for Chile, and then the Olympics, I feel like it gives you an extra boost. I feel like it's one of the events you play every four years, and having a gold medal on your chest I think is something really special and emotional. I feel like it does give you that little extra. For me it would be the fourth week in a row, going to the Olympics, but I'll feel pretty fresh and new because we are going to play every four years, so I'm going to try to do my best there and hopefully get a good prize on Sunday.

Q. What would it mean to stand on top of the podium and hear the National Anthem?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: Yeah. It gives me a little stitches. I said before, I don't think the names there matters. I feel like it's more for the countries. For me, having Chile on top of the Olympics as a golfer, more than golf and winning a golf medal, I feel like it's having Chile an extra medal. It's super special for me, and it's something that I'm going to try my best for.

Q. Mito was in that playoff --

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: I remember watching that. It was a lot of fun. There was six, seven guys in a playoff, and we were talking about it, you never see that many people trying so hard for third place. You had Rory McIlroy there, Mito was there, Sebastian was there, Collin was there, Hideki, C.T. Pan. It was a great playoff. You saw everybody getting frustrated for third place.

Q. What was the coolest thing about being an Olympian three years ago?

JOAQUIN NIEMANN: It was a different Olympic. I feel like -- I was able to stay in the village and it was a cool experience seeing all the other countries whenever they win a medal for their country they were all celebrating in the middle of the road. It was something that you never see. For us, for Chile, it's not a -- we don't have many athletes in the Olympics. I think it's improving a lot. We're growing and growing and getting more people into having a chance to win. So yeah, to be part of that small group is super special.