Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann are not exactly sure when they first met.
It probably wasn’t the 2017 US Open, the first time both players were in the same field. It might have been a practice round at the Masters a few years ago in a group that also included Sergio Garcia. More likely, it was at the 2020 CJ Cup at Shadow Creek; Niemann played in the group ahead of Rahm during the third round, so their paths would have crossed then.
“We played Shadow?” Rahm asked Niemann during their joint press conference Wednesday at LIV Golf Chicago. “I played so bad I deleted that.”
“You were a little pissed,” Niemann recalled. “I remember that.”
Admitted Rahm: “My basic level on the golf course no matter what is ‘a little pissed’ – and then it just goes up from there.”
They definitely played together in the final round of the 2024 LIV Golf season opener in Mayakoba on February 4. The tournament was Rahm’s first after joining LIV Golf and he was in the leaders’ group, starting four shots behind Niemann, who would eventually win the tournament in an epic four-hole play-off against Garcia.
Since then, they’ve been in the same group four more times at LIV Golf tournaments – the first rounds in Jeddah, Singapore and Greenbrier and the second round in Adelaide.
On Friday at Bolingbrook Golf Club, Rahm and Niemann again will be in the same group starting off hole No 1 and the stakes have never been higher. The season-long LIV Golf Individual Championship is on the line this week and they’re the last two players standing, having separated themselves from the pack thanks to their success and consistency.
After his two early wins, Niemann maintained the points lead throughout the season until Rahm overtook him at Greenbrier with a runner-up finish after losing to Brooks Koepka in a play-off. Rahm is less than three points ahead of Niemann and no other players can catch them.
Due to the small points difference, Rahm v Niemann is essentially a head-to-head matchup within the framework of the broader Chicago leaderboard that will also determine the final placements for Lock Zone (top 24), Open Zone (25-48) and Drop Zone (49 and below), as well as the team seeds for next week’s Dallas Team Championship.
There’s a lot on the line during LIV Golf’s first visit to Bolingbrook but the season-long title, the Individual Championship trophy and ring and the $18-million bonus are the biggest attention-grabbers for Rahm, the Legion XIII captain, and Niemann, the Torque GC captain. The non-winner will have to be satisfied with a guaranteed second-place finish in the season-long race.
“This was the goal, to have a chance to win and hopefully win,” Rahm said. “Joaquin has played fantastic all year, so just being in this position means I've done pretty well myself.”
Said Niemann: “One of my goals was to win the season – and it’s all come down to the last week.”
Niemann’s best stretch of golf came early when he won the season opener at Mayakoba – shooting 59 in his first round – followed by another win in the third event at Jeddah.
Rahm, meanwhile, found his groove in the back half of the season, winning LIV Golf UK by JCB in late July and nearly following it with another victory in his most recent start at Greenbrier.
Both, though, have been models of consistency this season. Rahm has completed 11 tournaments – he was forced to WD in Houston with a foot infection – and has finished inside the top 10 each time. Niemann has nine top 10s. Both have five podium results. They sit 1-2 in stroke average, birdies made, and strokes gained totals.
Many other players in the Bolingbrook field will face pressure this week. Nearly a dozen of the 54 players face the potential of being relegated. Others are trying to secure their spot for the 2025 season by finishing in the top 24 in points.
The final podium spot in the Individual Championship is also on the line, with Rahm’s teammate Tyrrell Hatton seeking to hold onto his current third-place position against four captains – Sergio Garcia (Fireballs GC), Louis Oosthuizen (Stinger GC), Cameron Smith (Ripper GC) and Koepka (Smash GC).
Everybody’s feeling pressure but only Rahm and Niemann are playing for LIV Golf’s biggest individual title. How they handle their nerves through 54 stress-filled holes could determine the championship.
“You would be lying to yourself if you said there’s nothing extra,” Rahm said. “… Being able to be in this position and having those extra nerves is a privilege. We’re the only two in the entire league that are going to be feeling like that this week, so you have to embrace it.”
“There’s a little extra pressure, which I feel like is nice,” Niemann added. “It’s part of the sport and being competitive. It fuels me in a good way.”
If either one needs a little extra fuel, there’s also the opportunity to win the unique LIV Golf championship ring. It contains 5.78 carats of white diamonds, 1.2 carats of natural green emeralds, 1 carat of black diamonds, green glow-in-the-dark UV enamel detailing – and a concealed ball marker with an embossed QR code that permalinks to the video reel of the player’s winning moment.
While listening to a description of the ring, both Rahm and Niemann tried to process the details.
“Pretty cool. Probably my wife won’t be happy knowing that my ring …” Niemann said with a smile, letting the thought drift off.
“I’m trying to picture what it looks like right now,” Rahm said. “I can’t get that in my mind. It’s definitely a lot. But honestly, who cares what it is as long as you’re the one that has it.”
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