Jon Rahm acknowledged that Joaquin Niemann was likely more deserving of winning the LIV Golf championship after narrowly edging out the Chilean. Rahm clinched his second consecutive LIV title by finishing 22-under in Indianapolis on Sunday, despite losing in a playoff.
The victory secured Rahm a substantial £13.3 million in prize money. Despite shooting 11-under on the final day, Rahm did not claim the weekend’s LIV championship, which was won by Sebastian Munoz, Niemann’s teammate at Torque GC. Munoz set a professional golf record with a 59 on Friday.
Niemann, with five wins this year compared to Rahm’s zero, expressed his thoughts on the LIV Golf points system after narrowly missing out on the overall title. However, he commended Rahm’s performance during the event.
Reflecting on the competition, Niemann acknowledged his tie for fourth place at -17, stating that he played well but fell short due to missed putts. Rahm, coming off two consecutive playoff losses, finished the year with four runner-up finishes and eight top 10s. He expressed mixed feelings about his overall victory and hinted at potential flaws in the current system.
Rahm recognized Niemann’s exceptional year, where the Chilean earned a £5.9 million bonus. Rahm credited Niemann’s outstanding golf and suggested that Niemann might have been more deserving of the win based on performance.
With his second LIV Golf triumph, Rahm adds to his impressive resume, which includes victories at the 2023 Masters and the 2021 US Open, along with several 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).