Joaquin Niemann is without question the hottest golfer on the planet. The 25-year-old Chilean won his second LIV Golf title in three starts, posting a final-round 66 at LIV Golf Jeddah to edge South Africans Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel by four shots.
Niemann has now won three times in the past three months, starting with the Australian Open in December. A world top-20 star when he first signed with LIV Golf, Niemann has fallen outside the top 75 in the world rankings despite a seven-start streak of three wins and three additional top-5 finishes (5th, 1st, 4th, 3rd, 1st, 30th, 1st).
The hottest player on planet ? ranked 74th in the world ?. At least @TheMasters got it right.
— West Texas Driving Range Pro (@jjkilleentcu) March 3, 2024
Thus, it was not surprising to see Niemann take a dig at the monopolistic world rankings during his interview with LIV Golf’s broadcast team.
After being asked if he was one of the leading favorites to win a major this year, Niemann said with a grin, “How is that possible? I’m like 100 in the world.”
The anti-LIV golf media was not happy, especially after Niemann was patted on the head last week by the green blazers and given a special exemption. (Note: Special exemption is an insult to a world-class player like Niemann as they are generally given to little-known longshots, not marquee stars who will be part of the conversation to win the Masters. Bottomline: if the OWGR were not rigging the rankings, Niemann would not need an exemption.)
Sure, just take your token gesture (special exemption), sit in the corner and don’t say sh*t.
What?
It’s wild how NLU has become what it once hated: the establishment. ?? https://t.co/fstH4okfLB— Pro Golf Critic (@ProGolfCritic) March 3, 2024
