LIV Golf 2026 Season Player Preview: Joaquin Niemann

The 2026 LIV Golf season starts next February under the lights in Riyadh, and in the next few months, we’ll take a detailed look at each player competing next season. Next up is the all-time leader in LIV Golf Individual victories and captain of Torque GC, Joaquin Niemann.

LOOKING AHEAD

It will be a challenge to match his 2025 individual win total, but Joaquin Niemann is still just scratching the surface of his overall potential. The 26-year-old is LIV Golf's youngest captain and yet to reach his prime. For all Niemann's individual success in 2025, his team's only tournament win came via Sebastian Munoz's victory in Indianapolis. Now, Niemann must figure out how to replace his countryman Mito Pereira in the lineup to help Torque GC challenge the top of the team standings in 2026.

Niemann could also aim for more consistency from week-to-week in events that he isn’t in contention on Sunday, which is what held him back from winning his first LIV Golf Individual Championship in 2025.

The major championships will be of great importance for Niemann next season. His talent and LIV Golf success in undeniable, but he will look to continue to improve on the major stage as he takes the next step in his career.

LOOKING BACK

Despite narrowly losing out on the LIV Golf Individual Championship to Jon Rahm for the second consecutive season, there’s a case to be made that Niemann’s 2025 season was the most impressive year in LIV Golf history. The Chilean was dominant, racking up five individual victories, a single-season record, extending his LIV Golf career total to seven, the most of any player.

On the weeks Niemann won, he was spectacular. However, his lack of consistency in the eight individual tournaments he didn’t win proved to be costly. Nearly 90% of Niemann’s season point total came from his five wins. He had just one additional top-10 finish, which came in the form of a T4 at LIV Golf Indianapolis.

For better or worse, major championship performances greatly shape a player's legacy, especially for a talent like Niemann. Despite his dominance on LIV Golf in 2025, that success didn't fully translate to the majors. The 26-year-old achieved his best major finish with a T8 at the PGA Championship but missed the cut at both the U.S. Open and Open Championship.

WHAT THE STATS SAY

Strengths: Niemann ranked 3rd in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, trailing only Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm in the category. He’s one of the most talented drivers of the golf ball in the game and has the ability to shape his tee shots in either direction, making his driver a weapon.

Niemann ranked 7th in the league in Strokes Gained: Approach, with his long approach game as the biggest separator (2nd). He ranked 11th in Strokes Gained: Around the Green, which didn’t come into play all that often as he excelled in Greens in Regulation, ranking 2nd in the league (73%).

Weaknesses: Niemann had no major statistical weaknesses in 2025. His lowest ranking in any major category was Strokes Gained: Putting, where he ranked 21st. The fact that he was consistently gaining strokes with the putter while maintaining his place as one of the league’s best ball strikers enabled him to win five tournaments.

An area where Niemann could improve is Par 5 scoring, where he ranked T8. While that isn’t disastrous, it is part of what held him back in his championship battle with Jon Rahm, who ranked 1st in the category. On the season, he gave up 15 strokes to Rahm on par 5s (and 13 strokes on par 4s), so he needs to close that gap to end the Spaniard’s two-year reign as Individual Champion.

CAREER RESULTS

LIV GOLF REGULAR SEASON

TOTAL TROPHIES WON (12)

LIV GOLF CAREER SCORING

Stroke Average Total: 68.40
Round 1 Average: 68.51
Round 2 Average: 68.56
Round 3 Average: 68.12

Lowest Round: 59

BOTTON LINE

Niemann has proven himself as one of the best players in the world while playing on LIV Golf. He is only just entering his prime years and should be a contender for the Individual Championship year in and year out. Going forward, Niemann will look to display more consistent results on a weekly basis while improving his major championship record.