While it may not be his worst claim on social media, Phil Mickelson labelling Joaquín Niemann the best player in the world is undoubtedly looking even more laughable during this Open Championship.
There is absolutely no question that Niemann has been LIV Golf’s biggest revelation.
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The Chilean had won on the PGA Tour before departing for LIV. But clearly, he has taken his career to another level, with eight victories on LIV as an individual.
When Phil Mickelson named Joaquín Niemann the best player in the world
It was after his win in Singapore in 2025 that Mickelson took to X to name Joaquin Niemann as the best player in the world after his team, Torque, had suggested that he was in the top five.
Of course, it was at a similar time in the year that Mickelson predicted that Scottie Scheffler would not win on the PGA Tour before the Ryder Cup.
Both suggestions have been made to look ridiculous.
Niemann has won four more times since then. However, it is still not clear just how much value can be placed on LIV Golf victories.
Ultimately, the majors remain the best way to judge whether a player is on that elite level.
For example, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler have won two major championships each since that post from Mickelson.
Niemann has registered two top 10s in the eight majors since.
And he now looks set to miss the cut at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale having been six over par after day one.
Much has been made of Niemann’s overall record in the majors. However, not enough has been said about just how terrible his results in The Open have been.
Joaquín Niemann’s Open Championship record is only getting worse
This year marks Niemann’s seventh appearance in the event. He has now missed the cut four times and never finished inside the top 50.
Not even Phil Mickelson‘s record in The Open started quite that badly. He missed two cuts and finished between 24th and 41st on three occasions in his first seven starts. And it would be a very long time before Mickelson ever got to grips with links golf.
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The Open is a unique test. Plenty of great players have never got their hands on the Claret Jug down the years.
However, in an era where McIlroy, Scheffler, and Jon Rahm are so good in all environments, there is simply no way that Niemann can be put in the same category – no matter how many wins he produces on LIV.
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