LIV GOLF NEW YORK

August 7, 2026

Joaquin Niemann

Trump National Golf Club Bedminster

Torque GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Joaquín Niemann, captain of Torque GC, welcome back to the media center. Well played, a 6-under 65. You hold the 36-hole lead by five at 13-under after two rounds, another bogey-free day. How do you assess today's performance?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, obviously pretty happy with it. I played really good today. I just came out with the same kind of thought and mentality that I went out yesterday. I feel like I kind of like the heat as well.

I feel like it just keeps you very present, you know, having all the sweat coming down your face and the water on your shirt. I feel like it kind of helped me out a little bit.

Q. On the team front, Torque maintained the lead. We saw former teammate Mito Pereira here yesterday and the bond that you share. For those that haven't had the opportunity still to experience a LIV Golf event or to see it firsthand, how significant is the team experience for the players, for the caddies, for their families?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: It's great. I felt like there's a lot of things that you can -- many ways to describe it. There's a lot of positive on it.

Just looking back for my day today, for example, I was able to go to practice after my round, and then Sebastian was there grinding, as well, with his caddie, caddie/coach, and Mito was there as well. It's kind of nice to have a moment to just be present with your teammates and just watch them do what they do.

There's a lot that you can learn from each other as well. It's nice to have Abraham the way he plays, the way he maneuvers around the golf course. It's a completely different game than I play. It's pretty nice to see what they do and how good they are at what they do.

Then also, yeah, we've got a nice community between all of us and the wives and friends and the team outside the golfers. It's really fun to be around. Even though we're here to play and compete, it's nice to have a moment to just have a laugh and talk and just talk about life.

Q. Would you say you're back to your 2025 form when you won five times?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I mean, I feel like I'm never going to be the same as I was in 2025. I feel like you're always changing. You're always evolving and you're always a different person.

Yeah, 2025 I played amazing golf. I had five wins on LIV. Probably not the best results in majors. But yeah, I feel I'm a better player now. I feel like I have matured a lot more now, and I feel like whenever time goes on, there's always something to learn.

The only thing I want when I get older and just look back, I feel like every day I get older, I got wiser too, so hopefully I can keep going with that trend.

Q. The last time you had a five-shot lead with 36 holes to play was at Mayakoba and you ended up winning in a playoff. I know that was two and a half years ago, but can you draw on anything from that experience this weekend in terms of maintaining that healthy lead, keeping the momentum going, that type of thing?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, for sure. Obviously I've been in this situation before, but like I say, I feel like every situation is different to the other ones. There's just experience that you can learn from.

But I'm just excited to go out there for the weekend and see what I can learn. I feel like there's so much golf to play. There are so many shots to hit. I'm just excited to have the opportunity to go and see my shots, try to deliver the best I can, and go from there.

At the end of the day, if I win or not, if I win by five, by one, if I lose, whatever happens, I know I just want to go and look back and say I just committed 100 percent to my target, where I was aiming, where I was seeing the ball fly, and that's all that matters for me right now.

Q. Given how difficult this course is, how impressive is it that you're the only player in the field without a bogey this week?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: It's a nice course. It's a lot of fun to play here. Like I said yesterday, Trump does a really good job with his team on having really proper golf courses that are pretty difficult, long, very big green complex, and there's different pin sections. You've got to be playing your best for sure. You've got to be hitting the shots.

It's a lot of fun to play out here on this kind of course.

Q. You rank first in strokes gained approach and first in strokes gained off the tee. Is this kind of the most in control you've felt over the golf ball from tee to green so far this year?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I mean, to be honest, that's the kind of discussion that I always have with my coach. He would come out to me and say, hey, you were number one in strokes gained off the tee or approach to the green or whatever stat. But I don't feel like -- I feel like I'm hitting it a lot better. I feel like it can be a lot better, too, right now.

I know how I can kind of get closer to that better. So I'm just working towards that. I just like feeling my body before the shot, seeing what the ball wants to do and try to match my body muscles to kind of recreate that.

I feel like the more I get into that feeling and into that kind of bubble, just trying to get the body in the right movements with the right direction, and I feel like I'm far away from where I want it to be. So there's a lot of work to do. Moments like this, playing like yesterday and today, just made me commit a lot more because obviously there is some tee shots, some shots that you don't feel as comfortable as others, and going out there and just be 100 percent committed to what I'm doing and seeing the ball going in that window is pretty satisfying. It's a really nice feeling.

I just want to keep trying to do the same.

Q. You mentioned yesterday, and this course was set to host a major. Does doing what you're doing right now at a course like this kind of reaffirm your ability that you can do this on any type of golf course and the hardest courses in the world?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: It's not like I need to reaffirm myself and kind of tell me that I'm able to win a major or not. I do know that I have the game to do it. Golf is a hard game, and we've got to learn how to deal with it and enjoy it. Like I say, for me it's just going out there and trying to deliver the best I can, seeing my windows and trying to match my body into that.

Q. You have a five-stroke lead over second place. There's still plenty of golf left. Then tomorrow obviously is moving day. How do you keep your cool? How do you keep your composure so you don't lose the lead and you keep at your pace?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I mean, what else is there to do? I feel like I cannot control what's going to happen tomorrow. So I'd better just stay calm. I mean, why not?

Q. Does it affect you mentally or anything?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I feel like that's something that I -- there's always going to be messages or stuff going through your head. I feel like there's always going to be. You've just got to deal with it.

I feel like just clapping on my legs knowing that I'm here, I'm not up there, just brings me to the present moment right now. So yeah, I feel like for me it's about that. Just be the more present I can.