LIV Golf star reignites world ranking feud after being handed Masters invite
Joaquin Niemann has admitted he is still 'frustrated' with LIV Golf's wait for Official World Golf Ranking points (OWGR) despite banking a spot at this April's Masters.
Niemann joined the LIV Golf circuit as a top-20 player in the world rankings, but now finds himself 81st in the list due to the breakaway league's lack of OWGR points. He is one of a number of LIV stars who have tumbled down the rankings over the past two years, in a frustrating period for the Chilean.
In order to gain some much-needed ranking points and a spot at this season's majors, Niemann has ventured elsewhere in recent months, playing across the PGA Tour of Australasia, DP World Tour and Asian Tour.
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And despite some impressive form - including a victory at December's Australian Open - he has been unable to break into the world top-50, with the Masters right around the corner. Niemann has to worry no more though about earning a place at the opening major of the year, after his recent run earned him a special invite by the bosses of Augusta National.
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The 25-year-old followed up his win in Australia with a tied-fourth finish at last month's Dubai Desert Classic on the DP World Tour, before winning the maiden LIV event of 2024 in Mexico, which included an opening round 59. His form was rewarded with his Masters invite earlier this week, but this appears to only be a short-term fix for Niemann.
"It’s useful to get world ranking but it sucks that I’m too far away to get into all the majors,” Niemann told Bunkered while in action in Oman for the Asian Tour's International Series. “It’s frustrating. It got a little bit tastier getting that invite from the Masters because one of my goals was trying to get into the first major because the US Open you can get in.
Joaquin Niemann will compete at this year's Masters ((Photo by Pedro Salado/Getty Images))"You can qualify. That still sucks to do that though but I do have a chance to get in.” Alongside his Masters spot, the LIV Mayakoba champion has also earned a place at this year's Open Championship at Royal Troon, thanks to his victory down under at the end of 2023.
The win in Sydney also allowed him to compete in Dubai a month later, where the Chilean once again vented his frustrations about LIV's world ranking woes. "It is pretty unfair right now what the world rankings shows," Niemann told Mirror Sport in January. It says the top 100 players in the world right now, but I don’t think this is the right ranking...
"I am going to Dubai for the DP World [Tour] just because of [ranking] points, and to try and get into the Masters... "At the majors it is all about the best players in the world, and I think it is their job to find a way to have the best players there," the Chilean commented.
“Right now it is all about the best players and right now I think I am one of those, I have got to be in those majors. Obviously I took the decision to come to LIV and I knew it was going to be hard to get into the majors because of it, but I think now they have to find a way to get us in, that is why I am trying to play more tournaments than just LIV Golf."
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