Reigning Australian Open champ Joaquin Niemann tees-up in this week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic looking to make it six victories for LIV golfers in seven regular DP World Tour events.
Winning some six weeks ago in a play-off in Sydney earned Niemann a place in this week’s opening Rolex Series event, again being hosted at the Emirates Golf Club.
The champion Chilean golfer became the then second LIV golfer to win in the 2024 DP World Tour season which kicked off with simultaneous events in Australia and South Africa before Christmas, and South African Dean Burmester, winner of the Joburg Open the week prior went back-to-back as he took the South African Open just hours after Niemann’s success and Louis Oosthuizen followed-up with victories at the Dunhill Championship and AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open.
Niemann qualifies for this week’s opening Rolex Series event having earned a two-year exemption till the end of 2026, while Burmester and Oosthuizen are also Category 4 but have both chosen not to be in Dubai.
And while Niemann will be again flying the flag for LIV Golf in Dubai, he was asked his thoughts on the continued decision by those administering the Official World Rankings body not to award ranking points to LIV Golfers.
Niemann has dropped to be the World No. 70 and after a present career high of No. 15 following a T35th placing at the 2022 Masters.
“It is pretty unfair right now what the world rankings shows,” he said to Mirror Sport.
“It says the top 100 players in the world right now, but I don’t think this is the right ranking… I am going to Dubai for the DP World [Tour] just because of [ranking] points, nothing else and to try and get into the Masters.
“I don’t really need to play other tours, the only reason is because of the majors,” he added.
“This is not me trying to get other players’ places because I am there, it is because the system is not working well. I want to be at the majors and I think the easiest path is to go and play Dubai. I don’t know if it is going to create drama or they are not going to like me playing on that tour, so I am going to go there, try to play well, get my points and get out of there.”
“It is all about the best players in the world, and I think it is their job to find a way to have the best players there.
“Right now it is all about the best players and right now I think I am one of those, I have got to be in those majors. Obviously I took the decision to come to LIV and I knew it was going to be hard to get into the majors because of it, but I think now they have to find a way to get us in, that is why I am trying to play more tournaments than just LIV Golf.”
Niemann ended the 2023 DP World Tour year among the leading 60 on the Race to Dubai money-list which assured him a 2024 Open Championship tee-time at Royal Troon.
Niemann will contest the opening two rounds in the Dubai in the company of ultra-talented Italian golfer Guido Migliozzi and England’s Nathan Kimsey.
Leave a comment