Staff WriterJoaquín Niemann walks into Riyadh this week with the swagger of a man who’s spent 12 months proving he’s one of the most dangerous golfers on the planet. Joaquín Niemann isn’t just defending a title at the PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers — he’s hunting down a slice of history.
When The International Series finale begins on Wednesday at Riyadh Golf Club, the 27-year-old Chilean will try to become the first player to successfully defend this title. And if that weren’t enough weight for one set of shoulders, he’s also chasing win number six of a season that’s already been the finest of his career.
His secret? Not mysticism. Not mojo. Just relentless graft and a calmer, more anchored approach once tournament week rolls around.
“Obviously, I like to go out and play with the less expectations the better,” said Niemann, who has already steamrolled his way through LIV Golf events in Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico, Virginia, and the UK this season.
“I feel like all I have to do is prepare myself the best I can during very good preparation weeks, so I can get to the tournament and just play golf. Everything else I feel like is going to take care by itself. Yeah, my expectations during practice are big, I practice to win. Yeah, that’s one of the reasons that I’m here.”
This is a man who isn’t bluffing. Last year, he seized the title with a showman’s flourish — a brilliant birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death play-off, courtesy of a lob shot so delicate it could have been served on fine china. Caleb Surratt and Cam Smith could only watch.
That victory also wrapped up the overall International Series Rankings title, a reminder that Niemann’s career is no longer “promising” — it’s fully arrived.
And he insists the engine is still running hot.
“I feel like the game is in a good spot at the moment. I feel like I’m working towards the right direction. I made a few changes on my team which I’m pretty happy about. So, I have really big expectations of myself,” he said.
“So, yeah, it’s nice to have a good team that I can be surrounded with. I have, I think, the best support system that I could have and I got the best of the best on every aspect so I’m pretty happy where I am.
“I think the key is also the consistency of good quality work with my team. I feel like I said before I’m really happy to have the people that I have on my bag. You know, I know that they work hard and try to make me a better person, better player.”
This week, he’ll start alongside fellow LIV Golf heavyweights Dustin Johnson — a two-time winner of this event — and Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin, fresh off his Link Hong Kong Open victory. All three already have their LIV cards stamped for next season, but the same cannot be said for everyone in the field.
With 324 International Series points awarded to the champion, the race for the final two LIV Golf spots remains wide open. Scott Vincent leads the standings with 325.59 points, Japan’s Yosuke Asaji sits second on 285.3, and Miguel Tabuena holds third with 232.28. A big week from any of them could flip the script.
There’s plenty more on the line, too. The US$5 million purse makes this the richest tournament of the season, and as the third-to-last stop on the Asian Tour calendar, it carries serious weight in the race for the Order of Merit. Kazuki Higa tops the list for now, with Vincent and Tabuena in pursuit.
As for Joaquín Niemann, he arrives with a season full of swagger, a team he trusts implicitly, and a blueprint that’s earned him five trophies already. History is staring him in the face. He seems more than ready to stare right back.
