Joaquin Niemann looks to build on Saudi success

Torque GC captain Joaquin Niemann will look to follow up on last year's success in Saudi Arabia when LIV Golf opens the season under the lights at Riyadh Golf Club on Thursday.

The 26-year-old Chilean captured the LIV Golf Jeddah individual championship last March before winning the Asian Tour's season-ending PIF Saudi Invitational in December.

"Yeah, Saudi has been great to me lately. Last time we were here, it was a great week for me," Niemann said during a press conference Wednesday.

Niemann defeated fellow LIV players Cameron Smith and Caleb Surratt in a playoff to win the Saudi Invitational. His lob on the second extra hole stopped a foot from the hole and he birdied for the victory.

"It was a lot of fun playing that, a lot of birdies there," he said. "I felt like down the stretch I didn't play my best, and sometimes those things happen, not being able to finish those last holes as good as I wanted, and being able to come back in the playoff and play well, it was good to me.

"Yeah, it was great. Saudi has been great, so I can't complain. Hopefully it keeps doing the same."

Niemann said he was looking forward to the challenge of playing in night-time conditions this week.

"I'm really excited ... I feel like it's something really new," he said.

"I know playing in the same conditions makes it really special, too, because it's not what we normally do and try to adjust to all those conditions, sometimes you get some different lies where the light is a little bit different and get that feeling of the distance, which is sometimes a little bit weird and it's a little colder," he continued.

"Yeah, it's going to be different. It's going to be obviously the same for everybody, and I feel like it's going to be really awesome for the viewers all over the world. They're going to be watching during live time here, so it's going to be really special."

Niemann's strong 2024 campaign led to special invitations to this year's Masters Tournament and PGA Championship. His best finish in a major to date was a T16 at Augusta in 2023.

"Obviously they're special, especially these last two years that it's been tough for golf, not being able to get direct access to the majors," he said. "But being recognized from Augusta and now from the PGA, as well, for two years is really special. Yeah, I'm really happy about it. It's only one step; I need to be there, and then obviously (I've) got to play good in those. Yeah, I'm happy to be in those."

--Field Level Media