Debate aside, LIV Golf has once again delivered a title race that is going right down to the wire between Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann. That deserves some recognition.
Niemann heads into Indianapolis with a lead of less than 13 points over Rahm. If the Spaniard wins and he does not finish second, the title will go to Rahm.
The Chilean golfer has five wins this season, while Rahm has not yet picked up one. Still, the Legion XIII captain’s steady play has kept him right in the mix.
But since joining LIV Golf at the end of last year, it has been Niemann who has set the pace. He now has seven wins in total, a quite impressive tally.
Naturally, questions about Rahm came up when Niemann spoke ahead of the regular season finale, but it is something the Spaniard said that sparks controversy.
LIV Golf will not be happy with what Jon Rahm said about Joaquin Niemann
Rahm went on to say that it feels strange he is still in contention for the individual title, especially considering Niemann’s five wins this season.
But there was another remark from Rahm that LIV Golf may not appreciate as they work to build more momentum around their league.
“I would like him to continue doing what he’s doing and hopefully I can elevate my game to be able to compete with him more often and maybe steal a few of those wins that keep that going,” Rahm said.
“Not that I would ever think it’s a rivalry or anything like that, but he’s certainly put himself there. Seven wins in two years is spectacular. It’s somebody that’s a lot of fun to play with. I think both of us being Spanish speakers, it’s just a little level of comfort that we have, and just admire his game as well. It’s just fun to watch him play golf.”
Jon Rahm’s comments have not helped LIV Golf
LIV Golf struggles with fan engagement due to a lack of internal criticism and excessive self-promotion, distracting from the competition.
The players seem to have a strong sense of camaraderie, which makes sense given how many feel LIV is unfairly judged. That has led to a defensive stance around anything related to the league.
But for Rahm, who along with Niemann has been one of LIV’s standout players for over 18 months, it was surprising to hear him downplay any rivalry between them. Comments like that don’t do much to help LIV build interest.
Fans are not looking for manufactured drama, but hearing Rahm dismiss the idea of any rivalry feeds into criticism that some LIV players are not as invested. If he loses out on the title this weekend, you would want him to be genuinely disappointed.
The ongoing battle between Rahm and Niemann could be a major storyline for LIV moving forward, especially if Niemann levels things by winning this year. But building that narrative becomes harder when Rahm insists there’s no rivalry and says he’d like to see Niemann keep winning.
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