Jon Rahm acknowledged that Joaquin Niemann was likely more deserving of winning the LIV Golf championship after narrowly defeating the Chilean in a close competition. Rahm clinched his second consecutive LIV title, despite falling short in a playoff and finishing at 22-under in Indianapolis over the weekend.
The victory earned the 30-year-old a substantial £13.3 million in prize money. Rahm scored 11-under on the final day but did not secure the title for that specific tournament.
Sebastian Munoz, Niemann’s teammate at Torque GC, claimed the weekend’s LIV championship with an impressive performance, shooting a record-breaking 59 on Friday, setting a new professional golf standard even with a double bogey.
Niemann, who boasts five wins this year compared to Rahm’s zero, has hinted at potential changes to the points system of LIV Golf following his close miss in the final standings. Despite this, he commended Rahm for his exceptional performance during the event.
Reflecting on the tournament, Niemann finished tied for fourth place at -17, expressing pride in his improved play in the latter part of the round but admitting that missed putts prevented him from clinching the victory.
Rahm, coming off back-to-back playoff defeats, concluded the year with four runner-up finishes and eight top 10 rankings. While accepting his overall title, Rahm expressed mixed feelings and suggested potential flaws in LIV’s current system.
Acknowledging Niemann’s impressive season, Rahm praised his rival’s achievements and acknowledged that Niemann might have been the more deserving winner of the championship.
Rahm now boasts his second LIV Golf victory, adding to his remarkable career that includes triumphs at the 2023 Masters and the 2021 US Open, along with several other major top-five finishes.
The top performers from the Indianapolis LIV event were Munoz (-22*), Rahm (-22), Dustin Johnson (-20), Niemann (-17), David Puig (-17), Branden Grace (-17), and Carlos Ortiz (-17).