LIV GOLF ANDALUCíA

June 2, 2026

Joaquin Niemann

Carlos Ortiz

Abraham Ancer

Sebastian Munoz

Real Club Valderrama

Torque GC

Press Conference

Q. Joaco, obviously you played well at the PGA. You've got the U.S. Open coming up. You've got a chance to actually clinch an Open spot this week. How much are you looking forward to these challenges coming up in the majors and especially maybe getting the job done to get to the Open in July?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I don't know, it's Tuesday here at Valderrama, and I'm just trying to get better today and focus in on the challenge that we have this week and what we can do this week as a team, also.

Like I said before in Spanish, it's just part of the process. I think we're here right now just focusing on the process that I'm doing. I'm committing to my shots and feel -- getting a good feel of the course, of the wind, what are the challenges for this week, and then we go from there and then the next week, and go forward like that.

Q. What is your favorite shot out here at Valderrama?

CARLOS ORTIZ: The one that goes in the hole.

Q. Is there a particular hole?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Every shot is fun. Every hole, it will ask for a different shot, and I feel like we all enjoy hitting shots. That's one of our favorite things to do.

I feel like having that chance of doing that here on a beautiful course, it will be fun.

Q. Carlos, do you have a favorite hole out here?

CARLOS ORTIZ: It depends with the wind, but 17 is a great hole, I think. I really enjoy playing 17. Par-3, 15, is a great hole, too, coming down in the ocean. I think the golf course has a lot of good holes. I can go on and on, but those two just jump out.

ABRAHAM ANCER: I don't know, I just feel like every hole is very special, and every hole you can have an iconic shot in a way. The par-3s are unbelievable. I think 12 is a really tough but really good par-3. Man, you can pick all 18. This is a great golf course.

SEBASTIAN MUÑOZ: For me, it's going to be whenever the wind is helping on 4, the second shot that you can go for it. I think that's a really high risk/high reward shot that's going to get you a little bit nervous. Just for an everyday swing, maybe the tee shot on 13 where you have to cut into the corner. That one.

Q. Joaco, you've won on six different tours around the world, 22 times in your career. What are your goals for the rest of your career?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I don't know. Try to figure out what I'm -- every day. Like I said before, I feel like it's just focusing on what I'm doing now. I know if I stick to my process and my work and my commitment to shots and practicing and have the right attitude, I feel like everything else is just going to bring good things. Whatever is meant to come will come, and I'll be super happy to receive that.

But I enjoy more the process of getting better, hitting golf shots. Hitting a golf shot on the 72nd hole, on a playoff hole, made the putt, I feel like that's the most fun part about this game, hitting the last shot and having a chance to win. Just practicing and trying to get better to have a better chance to deliver better in those situations.

Q. There's obviously a lot of uncertainty, and I know you guys are trying to stay present, but are there any particular changes you want to see the league make going into next year as the league changes form with perhaps new investment? And what things do you think are critical that the league stays the same, considering that you launched trying to be different from other established tours?

CARLOS ORTIZ: I think right now we're just focused on - it sounds repeating - but just on playing this week and enjoying week to week. As we've seen, we don't really know when the last week could be, so that's also a good lesson just not for golf, for life, just try to enjoy every moment. You never know which one is going to be your last.

When it comes to the league, we can debate what could change, what could not, but totally out of our control. It's not only about what the management is doing right now; they have to deal with PIF.

There's a lot of things going on. We would love the league to continue. We're having the best time of our lives right now. We're traveling the world with great friends, great good golf. We obviously want this to continue and showcase team golf around the world, but right now it's totally out of our control.

I think there's a lot of things we could have done better, as everybody, but I think right now our focus and our energy has been spending on really focusing on each week, enjoying it, and getting the best out of every week.

Q. You guys have obviously got an established event in Latin America. The league is trying to find underserved markets. Would you like to see the league push deeper into South America, maybe with an event in Brazil, Argentina, something like that?

CARLOS ORTIZ: I think that was the plan. Having Mexico, having the Mexican Open, we were trying to maybe go down to Chile. There was a lot of things that the league was doing right, expanding golf, bringing some of the best players around the world to different corners of the world where they hadn't seen that kind of golf.

Chile was one of our main focus points next, and it would have been for Joaquín to bring all his friends and a great tournament down there.

But these are speculations right now. We don't really know what could happen. If it was up to us, for sure we would love to bring LIV Golf all around the world, go to Argentina, to Chile, maybe to Colombia, to Brazil.

But right now, let's worry first things first. Let's just get the next tournament going, then the next tournament, and then we'll figure it out. We are just grateful we're playing this week, and we're going to enjoy it and do our best.

Q. I understand what you're saying about wanting to stay present, but inevitably there is so much talk about what needs to change, and there's a lot of talk about team golf becoming an increased part of what is done. Obviously there is a team element to every event, but more team specific events. Would you welcome that, where you're playing just as a four and as a team, and it's not an individual stroke-play event? You do that once a year, but would you welcome numerous of those events throughout the year?

CARLOS ORTIZ: Yeah, I think we're kind of doing it in a way already. Honestly, I don't know. We're speculating about the future. I don't really know what can happen, what not can happen. I've learned that trying to figure out what the future is going to look like -- most of the time I'm not a seer, so I don't really pinpoint it. But what I've known is that if I do my best and we just focus on the moment, normally the future surprises you. It's almost sometimes better than you actually imagine it, so I am not worried. We are not actually worried about it, so we are just focusing on right now.

I wish I could tell you more answers of how team golf is going to look like or if we're going to play or not. But what I can tell you is that we're committed to wherever it takes us next, and we'll do our best. We're really trying to showcase what team golf looks around the world, and I think people like it.

But it's not up to us if it's going to continue or not.

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Translation of the statements given in Spanish

Q: Good morning, good morning everyone. Thank you very much for joining us for another year at LIV Golf Andalucía, once again at the Real Club de Golf Valderrama. We want to welcome Torque GC today, captained by Joaquín Niemann, and we have Sebastián Muñoz here as well, Abraham Ancer, and Carlos Ortiz. So we are going to start first with questions in Spanish and then we will continue with questions in English. So. Joaquín, congratulations on your victory last week at LIV Golf Korea, excellent result for everyone. This season is also taking you to third place in the individual standings. How are you coming into this week to fight for the title here at Valderrama?

Joaquín Niemann: I'm arriving in good shape, happy to be accompanied by my team, to be in Spain again at Valderrama, which is a course that all of us players enjoy very much. It always has an incredible presentation, some of the best conditions we have all year, and yes, very happy with the challenge. The truth is that the wind today tells you that Valderrama can wake up however it wants every day, so it's going to be a good challenge. We have four days of the tournament where we are going to give it our all and see what happens.

Q: Excellent, well good luck to everyone. Abraham, you took the team title here in 2024 and finished second last year with Fireballs before joining Torque this season. What memories does that victory leave you with and how are you going to fight for the team title this week?

Abraham Ancer: Yes, the truth is it's a course that I feel most of us like very much, it's a great challenge. Every day it can play differently. I've had good results both as a team and individually. I feel that the four of us have been working very hard and as a team we haven't seen the results that maybe we would like or that we want, but we know we have the game to do it. We are quite focused; obviously Joaco played incredibly last week and we are going to try to play a little bit of that golf this week together to fight for the Cup.

Q: Very well, now a question for Carlos. Carlos, you are one of the 13 LIV Golf players going to the US Open along with your captain Joaquín, how does this week help you in preparation for Shinnecock Hills and what would you like to achieve here while you prepare for the Open?

Carlos Ortiz: Yes, the truth is that Valderrama prepares you for any type of course. It's a course where you have to be sharp in every aspect, not just in one area of your game. I think it's great preparation. Also, the greens are narrow, they are small, you have to play to sections and the truth is I feel that prepares us well because I think Shinnecock is quite similar in the sense that you have to be very precise on approach shots to the green. Besides, honestly, coming here to Valderrama is a luxury for me, it's one of my favorite weeks. Obviously playing with great teammates, eating the food you eat here in Spain and being in this weather, I think it doesn't get any better. So I'm also grateful to be here and ready to enjoy a great week.

Q: Excellent. Sebastián, you finished in the top 10 here at Valderrama last year and you were also part of the Torque GC team victory in 2023. Do you see this week as an opportunity to gain momentum in the personal rankings, but also to take the title?

Sebastián Muñoz: Yes, of course. It's like my teammates have been saying, a week that we enjoy a lot, which is a unique challenge. You have to hit very good tee shots, very good shots to the green and be patient because the wind is going to help you and sometimes it's not. So we have been improving, we have been working hard and it is always a very nice challenge to be able to try to win Valderrama.

Q: A question specifically for Joaquín, I would like you to tell us a little bit about what aligned for you to be able to achieve such a brilliant victory last week and also if now that you have started your comeback, if you think you can catch up to Jon Rahm in the general standings with the tournaments still ahead.

Joaquín Niemann: Well, yes, there are several assumptions where I only know that I have to focus on what I'm doing, on my process, on my routine, on my commitment to every shot, and that is what I am focused on doing. That is what I felt I did very well last week, which helped me have a good result. But yes, it's a never-ending path of dedicating yourself, committing yourself to what you are doing, to your work, to your process, and trusting that this will take you far.

Q: Hello, thank you for your time. Two questions. The first, as Spanish speakers, is playing in Spain the closest thing to playing at home for you guys? Is this for Carlos and Abraham?

Carlos Ortiz: Yes, we are all Spanish speakers. Yes, the truth is that coming here to Spain is, as I was saying, a luxury for us. The truth is we have an incredible time. I do think our cultures are quite similar, since you guys conquered us (laughs). No, seriously, the truth is that coming here is a privilege for us. We have a great time and the truth is that the people make us feel at home in one way or another. And the truth is we enjoy it a lot, especially because of the weather, the food, and the people.

Pedro: This course has some defenses, one of them is the wind. How do you approach it or what do you see as necessary in your game to be able to win this week at Valderrama?

Abraham Ancer: I think the Valderrama course, with or without wind, is quite complicated, which is what's fun and the great challenge that it is. Obviously, if you add the wind and the greens get a little firmer, it becomes even more complicated with the greens being so small. So it's simply being focused on hitting fairways, hitting greens, playing a little bit of "boring" golf and that is the key. Obviously, if you are going to miss greens, leaving it in the right spots, missing it in the right place, is very, very important here at Valderrama.