Joaquin Niemann still hasn't proven he's a top-10 golfer in the world

Joaquin Niemann is playing better golf than any player in the world — on any tour. The Chilean just won LIV Golf Jeddah by four strokes to capture his third victory in his last six worldwide starts, which ignited a debate regarding his place in the world golf rankings.

The Official World Golf Ranking isn't an accurate barometer because it doesn't dish out points to LIV Golf. Niemann dropped from 72nd to 76th in the OWGR after his most recent win, but that's a conversation for another day. 

So, is Niemann a top-10 golfer in the world if you take the OWGR out of the picture? 

Despite his recent hot streak, the answer is no. 

Niemann's two victories in three LIV starts this season are impressive. There's no denying that. He stared down Jon Rahm and outdueled him in the final round to win in Mayakoba, then he lapped the field with rounds of 63, 64 and 66 in Jeddah. At the same time, he's competing against the same field in a three-round showcase every week. 

The top 10, or so, players on LIV are world-class golfers, sure, but there's a huge drop-off in talent after that. 

There's a difference between winning on the PGA Tour against 156 players and winning a 54-man exhibition with club music blasting in your backswing. We've also seen numerous players get scorching hot for a few weeks just to come back to earth shortly after. 

Last season, Lucas Glover notched three straight top-six finishes then won two tournaments in a row — one being a FedEx Cup Playoffs event. Fast forward a few months, and Glover has just one finish better than T29 in his last eight starts. 

Niemann is obviously more talented than Glover, but the point being golf is a sport with severe highs and lows. The 25-year-old is on a considerable hot streak right now, but three months of strong play on an inferior tour isn't enough time to put him in golf's elite tier of players.