LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann has declared that he is hopeful a merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will allow him to play a select few PGA Tour events each year.
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Speaking to Fox Sports ahead of his title defence at the Australian Open starting Thursday, the Chilean expressed that he wants the reports that a merger between the two warring factions to be true and change the current landscape in men’s professional golf.
“I would love for a merger to happen because it would be for the best for the game,” Niemann said.
“If they do a merger, it’s because they’re thinking about the big picture and what is best for the game, for the fans, and I would love for that to happen.
“For me, ideally it would be awesome to play PGA Tour events. As captain of my team, Torque, I am playing LIV Golf and I would love to play those 14 events as well as a few events I love from the PGA Tour.
“I love Riviera, the Players and if I could pick three or four events from the PGA Tour and play those, and then a few others on the DP World Tour, I would love to.”
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The 26-year-old signed with the breakaway league two years ago and has received widespread for being an outstanding global golf citizen.
Niemann earned himself an invite to this year’s Masters from Augusta National Golf Club because they were impressed by his efforts to come down under to play, and win, last year’s Australian Open in Sydney.
The top three, not already exempt, players at Australia’s national open are granted a spot at The Open Championship for the following year, which meant Niemann featured at Royal Troon in July, and he also was one of the LIV Golf players invited to play the US PGA Championship.
He also represented his country at the Olympic Games – where he finished inside the top ten – as well as featuring in Europe at times, but gaining access to all the majors is his top priority in a possible merger.
“Playing on LIV Golf and having the DP World Tour around – I played the Rolex series for the first time – was awesome, and if I can play those plus a few other events and the majors, I am happy,” Niemann said.
His efforts on the DP World Tour secured him a place at Royal Portrush for next year’s British Open, but the biggest concern Niemann has about a potential peace treaty is the season becoming longer.
The PGA Tour has long been criticised outside of the United States for its former wrap-around schedule which has eaten into the quality of fields at prestigious tournaments around the world like the Australian Open.
Niemann is strongly opposed to the men’s professional season expanding beyond its current borders, as he believes that he has landed on the perfect formula in a throwback to days past.
“We start in February and we finish in September which is pretty busy during the whole year but it gives you a nice time to prepare for that, and get ready physically and mentally for what is going to be a busy stretch,” he said.
“I think I’m starting to get used to it, and looking at it more and more. Talking to a few older guys who were great players who used to play 14, 15 events during the year, their thought was that they were getting ready for the majors.
“They had better time to get prepared and be ready for the season.
“(A merger) could make the season a little long, but as long as I have two, three months to get ready and get back into it, I would love to play more.”
Niemann believes that he is unique in his thinking.
The likes of fellow LIV star Jon Rahm have expressed similar sentiments that he would like to return to playing prominent PGA Tour events, but he is certain that few others of the world’s top players are willing to travel the globe playing tournaments as he is.
In fact, he is sure that plenty of them want things to remain as is.
“To be honest, I don’t think there’s many people that would want to play all over the world,” he said.
“They just want to play on LIV and that’s it, and there’s a few guys who probably just want to play on the PGA Tour and that’s it.
“For me, if I don’t play on the PGA Tour, I don’t think it would really hurt me a lot but I would like to play more.”
As for a timeline of when a merger may take place, Niemann and his LIV colleagues remain in the dark.
The announcement of the two tours coming together was made in June last year with a deadline until the end of 2023 given.
Obviously, that did not take place but Rory McIlroy has said that he is hopeful it will happen by year’s end.
Niemann is not so sure.
“There’s nothing really clear,” he said.
“Just rumours always and you never know what’s going to happen until it happens.”
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