Joaquin Niemann Wants To Give Away His US Open Spot

During the PGA Championship, LIV golfer Joaquin Niemann had a pretty good week.  Earlier, he had set himself the goal of winning a major.  Although he didn’t win the championship, that honor goes to Scottie Scheffler, who is looking at a career grand slam.  Niemann should still be quite proud of himself with his T8 finish.  Previously, he barely made it to the top twenty at major events.  Yet despite all the stress and pressure, he finished sitting comfortably in the top ten.  On the heels of this victory, and with ambitions of winning a major, he has announced that he wants to give his US Open spot to another LIV golfer.  Naturally, the next question is, why did he decide this after getting so close in the last major?

Niemann’s Announcement

During the Sunday post-round interview, Niemann said in no uncertain terms that he would like to just “give it away”.  He wants to be able to accept that spot and have a LIV golfer of his choosing to take his spot.  Of course, it doesn’t work like that, and he fully acknowledges it.  He still thinks it’s good to have that spot and hopes to get in next year, too.

An Uphill Climb For LIV Golfers

This urge for Niemann to give his spot away comes from a sense of shared struggle.  Anyone who has glanced at the issues that LIV golfers face, aside from the PGA Tour’s open hostility, is that LIV golfers don’t receive OWGR points.  The organization doesn’t recognize LIV Golf events or how they are formatted.  As a result, only a couple of LIV golfers are in the top 100.  Niemann was only able to get on that list through other leagues and tours.  It is a constant uphill battle that can result in invitations to major events.  Niemann confirms this struggle in the post-round interview when he was asked if his uncertain qualifications are a motivation.

“I think it is.  I had to go around and play a little bit more golf to try to qualify since I joined LIV, but I feel like everything is going to go the right way.  We are probably going to get a better pathway into the majors, where a lot of good players deserve to be.  I’m excited to see what’s coming in the next few months.”  

With this perspective, Niemann’s urge to give away his spot can be seen as charitable.

Joaquin Niemann Shines Light On LIV Golfers’ Struggles

Although he may not be able to give his spot away, Niemann highlighted a major issue LIV golfers face.  The sport is divided in more than a few ways, and now all these talented players have a constant struggle to be recognized in the golf world.  Niemann himself stands as proof of that.  He had an amazing game at the PGA Championship, going against the world no. 1 and some of the best golfers in the world.  He is right that there needs to be a better pathway into the majors; there are plenty of LIV golfers who should be at the majors.