LIV GOLF NEW YORK

August 8, 2026

Joaquin Niemann

Trump National Golf Club Bedminster

Torque GC

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Joaco, welcome back to the media center. 1-under for the day. You hold the solo lead entering Sunday. A bit more of a battle out there than the first two rounds. How do you assess today's performance?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I mean, it was a pretty good last 17 holes. Obviously not the best start. But pretty proud and happy the way I played today, especially coming into the end of the round.

But yeah, hit pretty good shots. Pretty happy with a few putts that I rolled that went in and a few of them that couldn't go in. Probably gave away a few shots there. But super happy with the round. I enjoyed playing with Lee and Sergio as well, so yeah, pretty excited for tomorrow.

Q. Yesterday you talked about the practice of staying in the moment and taking it one shot at a time. A round like today with a tough opening hole, is that an example of that being put to work, where you know you've got a long day ahead?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, for sure. I think the first hole was a pretty good test, to come down and put myself where I need to be. Obviously not the best tee shot, ended up with a pretty bad situation, couldn't go back to the tee, hit a tee shot again or just get a drop like I did and play from there, and I felt like it was the right decision.

Yeah, I needed to kind of calm down a little bit, and knowing that I had five shots up, I was playing amazing golf. I just needed to get out of there and play golf, start hitting my shots and let the round kind of flow.

Q. Joaco, it's been four years this month that you joined LIV. What would you say is the biggest improvement in your game in those four years?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Tough question. I mean, it's fairly hard to name just one thing that is miles better, but I feel like every aspect of my game is getting better and better. I feel like definitely my short game is getting a lot better. I feel like the work that I've done with Pete and the technique and then committing to those shots, I feel like I've been able to hit pretty good shots from around the green, especially on -- I feel like in a more consistent way.

So yeah, there's nothing that is coming up to my mind saying, this is miles better, but I feel like everything is a step closer to being better and better every time. I feel like it comes from technique. It comes from the mental aspect. It comes from being surrounded by a great team that I have right now and learning a lot from people that I work with.

It's been a good ride since I joined here. I've been definitely learning a lot of traveling and maintaining my body in a better form, recovering when I need to recover, training when I need to train. I feel like following those steps every time, it's just been -- yeah, I feel like that's probably the best improvement now that I look back. Probably my form and the way I kind of eat, the way I recover, the way I train I feel like has been better and better.

Q. In that span, you've won eight times. Obviously it could be nine times tomorrow if you win, plus two other tournaments. If you looked back four years ago and said you would have won in double digits in this span, would you have been okay with that? Would you have said, that's pretty good, exceeded my expectation, or did you expect that?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I mean, obviously we like to put expectations on ourselves, but yeah, I'm someone that likes to be surprised by what is coming. So yeah, I'm not expecting to win 10 more or one more, whatever. Whatever comes is going to come. Yeah, I'm just happy to -- it's been a good ride, so yeah, it's been great.

Q. Joaco, on LIV here, you've won from the final group with a lead. You've won from well behind. Does your strategy change depending on where you are entering the final day?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: No, I feel like everybody needs to go out and play tomorrow. It's not like it's just me playing. Everybody needs to go out there, probably they're going to try to chase me, and I'm going to try to play the best I can to just run away.

Obviously there's a lot of golf to play, a lot of shots to hit, and I'm just excited to be where I am right now and have a chance to win tomorrow.

Q. Joaco, southern American golf has really made a huge statement recently. I go back to Roberto Di Vicenzo, I know back to Angel Cabrera and now there's Joaco Niemann. Do you feel like your game is in a position where you can compete in the majors in the future?

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah.