Brandel Chamblee has explained how impressed he was with Joaquin Niemann at the US Open, insisting that he can now see the LIV Golf star winning a major in the future.
Niemann was one of the stars of the show at Shinnecock Hills. It proved to be an eventful week for the Chilean who earned his spot in the field through his performances on LIV.
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Much has been made of Niemann’s struggles to take his form on LIV into the majors. Before the US Open, the 27-year-old had registered just one top 10 in the majors.
Brandel Chamblee praises Joaquin Niemann after the US Open
It felt as though he was dealing with a lot of pressure, having been so successful since making the jump from the PGA Tour to LIV Golf. No one has won more events on LIV than Niemann.
And it did appear that his run of disappointing major results was set to continue, particularly after Niemann was handed a two-shot penalty during the first round for tossing his club away. He ended up signing for an 11 on that particular hole.
Nevertheless, he was able to battle back. Niemann ended up finishing in a tie for seventh – his best ever finish in a major. Had he made a double bogey on that opening day and every single score remained the same, he would have tied with Wyndham Clark.
Niemann was not interested in entertaining that idea after his final round had concluded. But speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Brandel Chamblee insisted that the Torque captain can take so many positives from his performance.
“I have got to really compliment him because in the media centre afterwards when he was answering questions about it, he was so magnanimous about what had happened, about the penalty, and also so contrite about throwing the club,” he said.
“He even went as far as saying before I threw it I looked around and there was nobody out there, so I thought I’m okay to throw it. Nobody is going to see it. And by the way there is no video of it! You can’t go anywhere where there is not a video of you and there is no video of him at the US Open losing his mind.
“We have all lost our minds on a golf course, so I’m sure he would love to have that moment back. Would he have shot the same score in the second round if he had not shot what he shot in the first round? It’s doubtful.
“Those things are the way your mind works. If we could all get to the place that he got to play that great second round mentally, sports physiologists would be out of business. It’s hard to get to that spot where you play with that kind of freedom.
“Would he have got there if he didn’t make that 11? Probably not. But I will tell you this. When I left there my takeaway was that it was great for Wyndham and great for Sam Burns, but in the back of my mind is that Joaquin Niemann is one hell of a player.
“Of course I knew he was a very good player, but the hype you hear about LIV you always take with a grain of salt, and when he was playing on the PGA Tour he was good but not great. Now I think this guy is legit. He could win a major championship.”
Jon Rahm vindicated for his praise of Joaquin Niemann last season
The next task for Niemann is to seriously contend for a major title. Both of his top 10 finishes in the four biggest events of the year came after he played himself out of the running before the tournament had even got properly going.
But those on LIV will be pleased to hear Chamblee’s comments.
Someone who will feel vindicated is Jon Rahm, with Rahm previously claiming that Niemann does not get the credit that he deserves after his victory at LIV Golf UK in 2025.
He said: “In my mind nowadays in golf due to various circumstances I think Joaquin is severely underrated. He’s one of the best players in the world and he keeps proving it. When it comes to his game he’s good at everything, right?
“Obviously has loads of confidence right now and taking advantage of that. It’s never easy to win. To do it multiple times, let alone five times in a season, is quite impressive.”
It seems to be a matter of time before Niemann does put himself in the mix to win a major.
Perhaps then, we will learn just how good he truly is.
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