Torque GC Captain Joaquin Niemann, the runner-up to Rahm in LIV Golf’s season-long points race the last two seasons, started his winning ways with eight victories in his native Chile (six of those while he was still an amateur player).
In 2019, he won in the U.S. for the first time. Since joining LIV Golf in the inaugural 2022 season as the league’s youngest captain, Niemann has won tournaments in Australia, England, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Singapore.
He said the benefits of having a worldwide schedule in his younger days are paying off on LIV Golf’s big stage.
“It’s something that I’ve really enjoyed since I was a junior player,” the 27-year-old Niemann said. “We got to play all over the globe, different type of grass, different type of greens, different weather, different layouts, different type of courses.
“I grew up my whole junior career playing on all these different types of courses. I feel like it prepared me to be a really complete player. I do know when I’m playing my best, I can win on any type of golf course.”
The ability to adapt, Rahm said, is a trait that can help define a player’s legacy.
“It shows the greatness of a player if you can win in any type of environment, any type of golf course, country, setup,” he explained. “It’s a bit like in tennis – if you’re somebody that can win across all surfaces, you’re obviously going to be considered a better player, and I think this can be kind of the same.
“You obviously think about it in terms of mainly majors and golf tournaments, but when you’re someone that can do it across the board and consistently, it shows your ability to adapt and your ability to play golf.”