LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann has declared that he’s hopeful a merger between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf will enable him to play a choose few PGA Tour occasions every year.
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Chatting with Fox Sports activities forward of his title defence on the Australian Open beginning Thursday, the Chilean expressed that he needs the stories {that a} merger between the 2 warring factions to be true and alter the present panorama in males’s skilled golf.
“I might love for a merger to occur as a result of it might be for the very best for the sport,” Niemann stated.
“In the event that they do a merger, it’s as a result of they’re occupied with the large image and what’s greatest for the sport, for the followers, and I might love for that to occur.
“For me, ideally it might be superior to play PGA Tour occasions. As captain of my staff, Torque, I’m enjoying LIV Golf and I might like to play these 14 occasions in addition to a couple of occasions I really like from the PGA Tour.
“I really like Riviera, the Gamers and if I might decide three or 4 occasions from the PGA Tour and play these, after which a couple of others on the DP World Tour, I might like to.”
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The 26-year-old signed with the breakaway league two years in the past and has obtained widespread for being an excellent international golf citizen.
Niemann earned himself an invitation to this yr’s Masters from Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership as a result of they have been impressed by his efforts to return down beneath to play, and win, final yr’s Australian Open in Sydney.
The highest three, not already exempt, gamers at Australia’s nationwide open are granted a spot at The Open Championship for the next yr, which meant Niemann featured at Royal Troon in July, and he additionally was one of many LIV Golf gamers invited to play the US PGA Championship.
He additionally represented his nation on the Olympic Video games – the place he completed inside the highest ten – in addition to that includes in Europe at instances, however having access to all of the majors is his high precedence in a potential merger.
“Taking part in on LIV Golf and having the DP World Tour round – I performed the Rolex sequence for the primary time – was superior, and if I can play these plus a couple of different occasions and the majors, I’m completely happy,” Niemann stated.
His efforts on the DP World Tour secured him a spot at Royal Portrush for subsequent yr’s British Open, however the largest concern Niemann has a few potential peace treaty is the season changing into longer.
The PGA Tour has lengthy been criticised outdoors of the US for its former wrap-around schedule which has eaten into the standard of fields at prestigious tournaments world wide just like the Australian Open.
Niemann is strongly against the lads’s skilled season increasing past its present borders, as he believes that he has landed on the proper formulation in a throwback to days previous.
“We begin in February and we end in September which is fairly busy throughout the entire yr but it surely offers you a pleasant time to organize for that, and prepare bodily and mentally for what will be a busy stretch,” he stated.
“I believe I’m beginning to get used to it, and taking a look at it increasingly more. Speaking to a couple older guys who have been nice gamers who used to play 14, 15 occasions in the course of the yr, their thought was that they have been preparing for the majors.
“That they had higher time to get ready and be prepared for the season.
“(A merger) might make the season a bit lengthy, however so long as I’ve two, three months to prepare and get again into it, I might like to play extra.”
Niemann believes that he’s distinctive in his considering.
The likes of fellow LIV star Jon Rahm have expressed comparable sentiments that he wish to return to enjoying distinguished PGA Tour occasions, however he’s sure that few others of the world’s high gamers are prepared to journey the globe enjoying tournaments as he’s.
In truth, he’s certain that loads of them need issues to stay as is.
“To be sincere, I don’t assume there’s many individuals that might wish to play everywhere in the world,” he stated.
“They simply wish to play on LIV and that’s it, and there’s a couple of guys who most likely simply wish to play on the PGA Tour and that’s it.
“For me, if I don’t play on the PGA Tour, I don’t assume it might actually harm me so much however I wish to play extra.”
As for a timeline of when a merger could happen, Niemann and his LIV colleagues stay at the hours of darkness.
The announcement of the 2 excursions coming collectively was made in June final yr with a deadline till the top of 2023 given.
Clearly, that didn’t happen however Rory McIlroy has stated that he’s hopeful it’ll occur by yr’s finish.
Niemann is just not so certain.
“There’s nothing actually clear,” he stated.
“Simply rumours at all times and also you by no means know what’s going to occur till it occurs.”