Joaquin Niemann did it once more.
The Chilean gained for the third time on LIV this season when it comes to the league’s particular person titles. Jon Rahm’s Legion XIII took residence the group win in Mexico Metropolis this previous weekend whereas Niemann stood on the rostrum by his lonesome.
One thing that’s notably notable about Niemann’s win, exterior of the truth that he’s enjoying fairly unbelievable golf proper now, is that he formally earned an exemption for the U.S. Open. To be clear gamers earn exemptions for tournaments and/or majors the entire time and so that isn’t essentially unusual, however what’s new is that this exemption is for a participant particularly on the LIV Tour.
Again in February the USGA introduced an exemption for the LIV Golf Tour and within the course of grew to become the primary governing physique of the game do achieve this. Discussions, disagreements and/or feuds about LIV Golf have been raging on for a number of years now, however that is uncharted territory when it comes to the exemption’s existence and subsequently its incomes by Niemann.
As famous Niemann has been enjoying very properly this season and consequently earned a particular invitation to The Masters which is how he was capable of enter it. LIV has struggled for years now as talked about to determine the incomes energy for its gamers to qualify for main championships which is why it is a comparatively large deal.
Right here is how the exemption works:
In claiming the 40 factors that goes to every LIV Golf particular person event winner, Joaquin Niemann prolonged his season-long factors lead. Of his 124.66 factors this season, 120 have are available in his three event wins (Adelaide, Singapore and Mexico Metropolis).
He now leads Jon Rahm by 30.3 factors and Sergio Garcia by 46.66 factors. With one last event left earlier than the U.S. Open’s LIV Golf exemption is awarded subsequent month, Niemann has assured himself a spot for Oakmont in June.
The exemption goes to the main factors participant not already exempt within the prime 3 of the standings as of Could 19. Rahm is the one participant who can mathematically overtake Niemann with a win in subsequent week’s LIV Golf Korea, and he already has a spot within the U.S. Open. Garcia doesn’t have a spot however is simply too far behind.
Niemann already is within the PGA Championship and Open Championship, so he’ll play all 4 majors this yr for the primary time since 2023. He turns into the ninth LIV Golf participant anticipated to be within the U.S. Open discipline.
There continues to be a scarcity of readability as to what any potential union and/or merger would appear like with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf. That is new territory, however it could or could not result in one thing additional down the highway.
We are going to all need to proceed to attend to see.
