LIV GOLF NEW YORK

August 6, 2026

Joaquin Niemann

Trump National Golf Club Bedminster

Torque GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Let's welcome to the Media Center Joaquín Niemann, captain of Torque GC. Very well played today, 7-under. Currently have a solo lead on a challenging course where maybe the half the field, maybe more so, were under par. You looked, and it seemed like you were, in complete control out there today. How did you feel?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: It's obviously super nice to be back here at Bedminster. It's a proper golf course. Conditions are unbelievable. It's one of those courses that is asking you to be committed on every shot. So I did that really good today. I was able to commit on every shot, trust my swing, see my ball flight, and just try to deliver the best I can. Yeah, pretty happy how the day came out.

Q. Once you reach the green, it seemed like the putts were sinking from just about everywhere for you. It may not show up on the scorecard, but on 15 I think you had that par save for 5. How big was that to keep that momentum going on the back nine?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, that was a big putt on 15, the par-5. Yeah, I mean, I hit a great tee shot there, and I had a good number with the 3-wood. It was a weird lie, and I knew I didn't -- I couldn't miss it right. It was going to be pretty tough shot. Yeah, I ended up in the worst spot, just on the right of the bunker, kind of like a downhill lie on the rough. It wasn't easy. It wasn't the best chip, but I made a great putt there.

You just see a 5-under scorecard, but it was definitely more stress in there than that.

Q. Joaco, where does this round rank this season for you, given it was bogey-free, it's a difficult course?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: It's a great round, yeah.

Q. Is it the best round you think you've had this year?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I have a pretty bad memory, so I'll say yes.

Q. This is the first time that you've had the solo first round lead at LIV since you shot 59. Given all the success that you've had since then, all the tournaments that you've won, is that a little surprising?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: No. I mean, I'm just excited right now for the chance to be leading in the first round. Just go out there and try to deliver the best I can as well. Go figure it out, stick to my routine, stick to my shots, be a hundred percent committed on every shot.

Same I try to do every day. I feel good, on top of the ball. The putter is -- the putts are going in, which is nice. It's nice to see that. Yeah, I'm just excited for what's coming next. Good round today as well.

Q. And you didn't -- you weren't with LIV yet when we first got here in 2022, but you obviously played well the next year. Did you think that when you first saw the course three years ago, that it was something, a place that you might like?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I remember when we came out here there were talks about having the PGA here. We knew it was going to be a proper golf course, a major golf course. Obviously it's a little bit soft right now because of the weather, but it has everything to be currently one of the best courses that we play throughout the year.

Yeah, Trump always does pretty good on his golf courses. It's just exciting to be back here playing.

Q. I know you can't technically win the season long points race or catch Rahm with that, but I think you're still alive for third place at least, which still comes with a nice payout. Is the points race something that motivates you still late in the season even when you can't win the whole thing?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Obviously I can't win the whole thing now, like you said, but I'm just -- obviously for me as a player and knowing that I have many more years playing out here, I mean, for me just trying to figure out how can I get better the next day and then the day after and the week after and so on.

Yeah, I had a chance to win it the last two years. I don't have the chance right now. I feel like my game is still evolving in the right direction. I feel like I've got so much to improve and so much to get better at.

Yeah, it's exciting to have a high ceiling. Yeah, I'm just excited to work on it, try to get as far as I can to that ceiling, and that's all I'm thinking about. Obviously on the way if I end up winning tournaments, big tournaments, the whole season, it's just a plus, but I know right after I win whatever I win, I'm going to try to get better at it.

Q. Separately, what was your reaction to yesterday's news about LIV finding a new investor for next year?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I had the news probably one or two days before that. So I wasn't that excited when it came out.

Q. What was your reaction when you found out?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: It was nice.

Q. You guys are still looking for your first team win. You've been playing really well. How motivated are you to get that first Torque win before the season ends?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, we did it at the last tournament last year, so right now it's kind of like our momentum. The whole team is playing great.

Yeah, it's just a matter of time. Obviously it's hard to win, especially with the teams right now how they are. They're pretty strong. Yeah, we're definitely trying our best, the four of us, to get the win and celebrate hopefully with the champagne.

Q. I know Mito has been out with you this week. Has it been nice having him around the team room and hanging with him?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: It's nice to have him around. It's always weird to not see him with the year, but it's always nice to have him around, and his company is always nice.

Q. We have you for eight individual wins, and seven of those on the 54-hole circuit with one this year in 2026. Do you find it a little bit more difficult to win when we're playing 72 holes?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: No. Obviously this is the first year that we play four rounds. Yeah, definitely there's going to be less wins than all the rest.

Q. It seemed like everything was going your way today. Is there anything about your performance you didn't like that you have to work on?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: No. I mean, there's some stuff that I'm working on my swing right now. So I feel like all day it was nice to see the ball go in where it was going today. I know I'm far away from where I wanted to be. So just got to work towards that. The result is just a number that comes along the way.

Q. Let's go to the most important question. Do you miss me?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: (Laughter). No, you're already here, so no. On the golf course, yes.