LIV GOLF UNITED KINGDOM

July 22, 2026

Joaquin Niemann

JCB Golf and Country Club

Torque GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome to the media centre Joaquín Niemann, captain of Torque GC. You're the defeding individual champion, also finished T2 the year before. What about this course at JCB suits your game so well, and how does it feel to be back here?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, it's obviously nice to be back here in JCB. Yeah, it's a great golf course, good setup. Conditions are amazing. JCB does a great job here maintaining the golf course the best they can. Hopefully they've got the machinery.

I love playing here. I feel like it's a course that really sets up really nicely for my game off the tee. It's pretty easy for me to see the reads on the green. I feel good on the speeds here, as well. I'm looking forward to another week here.

Q. Torque is currently third in the team standings, still looking for its first win of the season. What would a team victory mean for you and the guys this week?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, it would mean a lot. We're coming to the end of the season pretty quick.

I feel like there is room for good game. We're definitely playing great golf, the four of us. Last year the last win came on the last event. I feel like this is our part of the year, and we're just going to try our best to deliver.

Q. Building on the team question, you guys have not finished any lower than sixth this year in any single tournament. There's been a consistency there that no other team has been able to match. Do you take pride in that at all?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, it obviously makes sense when you see the players we have on the team. I think it would be more a surprise that we haven't won yet.

But yeah, I definitely see that consistency. Looking back at the season, you would say we could have won probably before. Yeah, that's how competitive the teams are right now and how hard it is to win, especially when every score counts. We've got to play better, a little bit better. I think we're just there, and we just need a week that everything goes our way.

Q. I wanted to ask you a course question. They've changed the 6th hole to a par-5. I think you're 3-over the last two years --

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I'm 1-under now. At the end of the day, it's just a number. I feel like the hole is playing pretty similar. It's going to be the same for everyone.

I feel like if -- it's just a number. It's the same. But it's a good hole. You've got to hit a great tee shot there, and if you hit the tee shot, I'm feeling pretty comfortable hitting that high draw, and I think that tee shots sits really well on that hole for me.

Hopefully I can do the opposite that I did last year on that hole and keep the same on the rest.

Q. Rahm is on the verge of clinching a third consecutive title. You've pushed him more than any other player out here the previous two years, and obviously very close again this year. Do you look at that as a positive, that you've been able to push him so hard, or has it been more frustrating to not beat him one of those years?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I mean, it probably depends on the way you look at it. I've been enjoying -- I love competition. I've been enjoying competing against him. I still do.

I feel like this is kind of -- he's pretty far away right now, but there's still a chance. I definitely think I can play my best game in the last three, four events and be able to do something.

I always like to feel optimistic about it, and I definitely have a chance. There is a low percentage that I can win the last three events and do something.

But yeah, Jon obviously is an unbelievable player. Everybody knows that. Yeah, definitely a lot to learn from him every time that we play together.

Q. When you left here last year, you were leading. Did you feel like you kind of had him then?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yes and no. I felt like, yeah, I had the advantage, but it wasn't over yet. I still knew what Jon could have done, and he played unbelievable golf the last few events to deserve the win. I ended up in fourth place the last event, and I was just a few points away.

I did my best, was close enough -- not close enough, but we learned from that. This probably hasn't been the best year so far, but still room for some moves.

Q. Joaco, I'd be interested to get your thoughts on the news that came out yesterday on the Asian Tour. Obviously it's helped you guys build out a full schedule. Was that something you were expecting to happen, and how does it affect your confidence for LIV going into next year?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, it doesn't affect anything on my side. I feel like it's great what is happening. We all know that we opened the door to a lot more golf around the world, and I think what they're doing, the alliance is definitely going to help to grow the game all over the world.

Yeah, it's great news, I think, for golf.

Q. I was just interested, as well, to get your perspective after the full season of the majors, with the code of conduct rules that have come in, Jon Rahm was in here yesterday saying players haven't been given enough clarity on what is a warning, what is a penalty. Do you think the players have been sort of informed where the lines are and what is okay and not okay?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I feel like they definitely are trying to -- I feel like the rules officials are trying to take more responsibility now, and I think it's completely right.

I feel like it's definitely frustrating on my side to have a two-stroke penalty, and definitely for Bryson, who probably we've been the only guys that have been punished with a stroke penalty, but I feel like it's the right thing to do.

There's obviously always going to be controversy, but if I was watching somebody having a bad behavior, I would bring the attention to them. Golf is a game where you practise your honour. You're always trying to respect the other person. You're trying to respect the game. I feel like you always can go better.

It's a game that you can get frustrated pretty quick. You have a lot of expectations of winning, and sometimes you're going to get frustrated and stuff like that.

But yeah, I mean, I think a few other guys also -- two or three more guys at The Open, I think they got a warning, as well, for misbehaving. I think it's the right thing to do. We can definitely behave better at the golf course.

But yeah, it was unfortunate for Bryson to have that situation, and it is what it is.

Q. Looking at what's going on off the golf course at the moment, I know the guys at LIV are looking to secure investment for next year. As captains, I'm wondering what message is being relayed to you at the moment and what you know about the progress that's being made?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, we had a nice meeting yesterday, as we always do almost every week. Scott and his team are always trying to inform and let us know what they're doing the best he can possibly communicate with us, and we're always trying to get feedback on our opinions and thoughts on how to have a better product and hopefully have something bigger and better for next year.

Q. There's a lot of talk about player equity, as well, in that. Is that something that interesting you and something you're willing to do?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I would be interested to see first what's going to happen, and I would be interested to see this league continue and deliver for the world and golf because I think there's a lot of fans out there that they deserve this kind of tournament, this kind of field, these kind of players, and we've done it great so far. It's now time to restructure a little bit things and make it better.

Q. Do you expect to be here next year as captain as things are now?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Mm-hmm, yeah.