Niemann wins LIV Mayakoba, immediately makes this ‘major’ declaration
Joaquin Niemann’s first thought after beating Sergio Garcia in a four-hole playoff Sunday at LIV Mayakoba?
“But I’m not in the majors,” Niemann could be heard saying at the start of his post-round interview.
Later, Niemann was asked if his win – his first on the Saudi-backed circuit since joining in 2022 – grabbed the “attention of the relevant [major] bodies.” To which Niemann replied, “Oh, I hope so. I mean, I’m just ready.” Niemann then said of his goals for the year: “I want to win majors, but I gotta get in first.”
Niemann, however, is in majors; he’s just not in all of them. His victory two months ago at the Australian Open qualified him for the 2024 Open Championship at Royal Troon, and at No. 66 in the Official World Golf Ranking, he should still be in the top 100 when the PGA Championship fills out his field.
He’s not in the Masters or the U.S. Open right now.
With LIV having been denied world-ranking points, Niemann’s Masters hopes are slim to none under the current landscape. He tied for 16th last year, missing a return ticket to Augusta National by two shots. He could still final-qualify for the U.S. Open.
Niemann had been playing well prior to Sunday’s LIV win. He’s got three top-5s in recent months, including a solo fifth at the Aussie PGA and T-4 at the DP World Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic, which he got into via his Aussie Open triumph.
Niemann said in Dubai that he understood not qualifying for majors would likely be a consequence of joining LIV, but he still felt like he “deserved” to be in all the majors.
And that was before this week, which also featured a 12-under 59 by Niemann in Friday’s first round.
“I think I have a different mindset for this year,” Niemann said Sunday evening. “It kind of hurt me a little bit not being in the majors, and I think also helped me to get motivation to kind of earn my spot back into the majors, into the elite players. I think it helped me a little bit to get focused back, to start working harder, to start working with a purpose. I think it’s paying off, and I just want to keep telling myself that I’m capable of doing this, of winning tournaments, and this is a good way to prove that, and I don’t want to stop working the way I’m doing it. I just want to keep going.”