The best player in the world? Phil Mickelson reckons so. Yet, Joaquin Niemann has a lot to prove.
It is indicative of golf’s current schism—between the breakaway LIV Golf and the traditional tours—that certain narratives can get lost if you don’t follow both competitions regularly. Even if you do, comparing players can be difficult.
To what extent should we take Phil Mickelson’s assertion that “the best player in the world” right now is Joaquin Niemann? Mickelson is entitled to his opinion, of course, and even if he is right, his statement shows there is a problem with how we rank these things.
Niemann is currently ranked number 30 with OWGR. Even before joining LIV, when he was on the PGA Tour, his highest ranking was 15th. His form on the LIV tour has been stellar, enough to earn him an invite to the Masters, but he will head to Augusta knowing that he has never really made an impact in any Major, going up against players who have.
Niemann’s respected in Masters betting.
You’d argue that Niemann is respected in the Masters odds. He’s nowhere near the betting favourites, but he has been given a respectable price at +2800. Those who watch LIV avidly will probably be tempted by those prices, especially those who agree with Mickelson. Yet, Chile has a lot to prove.
Niemann has appeared in 22 Majors. His best finish was 16th at the 2023 Masters. He has one other top-25 finish. He is two years younger than the current OWGR number one, Scottie Scheffler. The American has played in 21 Majors, recorded 12 top-10 finishes, and won two victories. As we said, Mickelson is entitled to his opinion, but the argument gets difficult to make when you lay it all out.
Of course, Mickelson could be simply referencing recent form (although Scheffler continues to be red hot), and one could argue that Niemann has been the best player on the LIV tour. Considering that he is up against Jon Rahm, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, and Brooks Koepka, that’s quite the achievement.
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LIV players are more comfortable in their standing
It will be interesting to see how LIV players approach Augusta this year. You can sense that the LIV players are much more comfortable with their standing, even if technical specificities like rankings need to be worked out. DeChambeau and Koepka remain the only players to have won Majors while part of LIV. Cameron Smith’s win at the 2022 Open came before he had formally joined LIV.
The ill will that once lay between the rival competitions has primarily dissipated. Yet, it would be interesting to see how it would be perceived if Niemann were to triumph at Augusta. Koepka and DeChambeau were already established players – previous Major winners – before their Major victories, whereas Niemann’s reputation has broadly been forged in LIV. It could feel like a watershed moment.
That’s all hypothetical at the moment. As mentioned, we are talking about a player who has not had a top-10 finish in over 20 attempts at the Majors. If he can go blow-for-blow with players like Scheffler, who have proved their worth, it will turn many heads. Until then, we will have to disagree with Phil Mickelson politely.