“I don’t know what it is about Saudi Arabia, I just like it!”

Joaquín Niemann loves Saudi Arabia. The 26-year-old has claimed the two biggest prize funds in golf in the Kingdom within the space of 10 months at Royal Greens Golf and Country Club and Riyadh Golf Club. In this exclusive interview with Golf Digest Middle East, Niemann shares his plans for defending his LIV Golf title this month in the capital, as he also looks ahead to his 2025 season both personally and within the LIV Golf League.

Joaquín, how much are you looking forward to defend your title in Saudi Arabia this month? Especially with it being LIV Golf’s first event of the season?

I’m pretty excited. I played, and won, at Riyadh Golf Club for the PIF Saudi International back in December on the Asian Tour’s International Series, so we were able to see the course and get a feel for what it’s going to be like. I think the weather will be similar in February, so I’m really looking forward to going back.

There were some really good crowds as well when we were there, so I’m sure it’s going to be a fun week.

How does it feel to win twice in Saudi Arabia now?

Winning in both Jeddah on LIV Golf and Riyadh on the Asian Tour is pretty special.

In Riyadh, it felt like it was an interesting week because I was playing really well, and I felt I had a great chance to win. I was almost able to get it done on the last couple of holes, but then it got a little bit “complicated” towards the end, as Caleb (Surratt) was playing great.

But it was a great experience, especially playing well on those playoff holes, even though I struggled with a few of the short putts.

But that’s part of golf when the pressure is on, and it makes it even sweeter to win the title.

Image supplied

It seems like you’ve developed a strong connection with the country!

Ha! I’m not sure what it is! I’ve played really well in Saudi these past 12 months. The grass on the course is similar to what I’m used to, which is a mix of Paspalum and Bermuda. I’ve heard they might oversee the course in Riyadh for the LIV Golf event, so we’ll see.

Hopefully, it won’t change too much! But I don’t know what it is about Saudi Arabia; I just like it!

You’re an integral part of Torque GC, how do you see the team dynamic evolving this season?

We have a great team at Torque GC. We’re really good friends, and we’re all committed to working hard and improving together.

But looking back at last year, we didn’t play well enough. We didn’t win anything and ended up fifth in the league, which I feel like we didn’t deserve.

I keep saying it, but I think we played better than the results showed. So this year, we’ve got to start playing better and getting those results in.

What about your personal goals and objectives for this season?

Is there anything specific you’ve been working on in your game? Surprisingly, I feel like everything in my game needs to improve.

There’s a lot more room for improvement in my short game. I think if I can improve that, I’ll have a better chance of winning more tournaments. My long game, including my irons and driving, has been pretty consistent throughout the year. But it just feels like it’s been the same for every round of golf.

When I’m out of position, and I miss a green, that’s where I’m able to make up for it with my short game and save my round. So if I can do that more often, I hope to be able to play a lot better.

Image supplied

How important do you think it is for players like yourself to be able to compete in the majors this year?

For me, as a professional golfer, majors are majors. We all want to play in them and win them. But with everything going on, I think it’s part of the adjustment to golf.

For me, it’s frustrating not being in some of the majors, but there’s not much I can do.

I’m trying to do my best, I’m trying to travel around the world and play to earn world ranking points where I can, but sometimes, it’s just not enough.

Looking back, how would you assess your journey with LIV Golf?

It’s been awesome to be part of this process. Something I’ve been telling a lot of my friends back in Chile about is that when you’re part of something new, and you get to be part of building it, it’s pretty special.

Putting part of myself into something to help it grow is great. Being a part of that process, watching how it has grown every year since we started, and looking back at where we began, it’s pretty cool.

Yeah, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. There’s a lot that needs to happen, a lot of things LIV Golf needs to improve on, but also it is down to us to make it better and more competitive.

But it’s getting better, and I’m happy to be part of it.

Main Image: LIV Golf. Supplied