LIV Golf's $88M man opens up on his future and sends 'incredible' message to PGA Tour

Sam FrostMon, October 5, 2026 at 12:40 PM UTC

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Joaquin Niemann remains undecided on his LIV Golf future -Credit:Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Only Jon Rahm has earned more money on the course than Joaquin Niemann since joining LIV Golf, but the Chilean admits he is unsure whether he will commit to the breakaway league as it vies to rebuild.

LIV filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last month after being abandoned by its backer, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund. The league hopes to rebuild with a $300 million cash injection, agreed in principle with private equity firm BC Partners, but that hinges on enough players committing to be part of "LIV 2.0."

LIV's next bankruptcy hearing will take place in New Jersey on Wednesday, and Niemann and his fellow members will soon have to make a final decision about signing up for 2027. Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton are among those expected to quit.

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Niemann, who has won nine times on LIV, added another trophy to his growing collection by winning the Chile Open on Sunday, his 10th title in his homeland.

The 27-year-old said afterward that he has some thinking to do over the next two weeks. He told La Tercera: "The truth is, I'm still deciding what to do; whether I want to stay and believe in what's happening in the league or go play more in Europe and from there try to get on the PGA Tour. So, those are my two options in the end. I'll have to make a decision in a couple of weeks.”

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LIV hopes to retain its top stars by offering them equity in the relaunched league in return for their commitment. Niemann sees the potential upside, but at this pivotal stage of his career, he is much more interested in golf than business.

Niemann is second on LIV's all-time money list -Credit:Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

“I think both have their very positive aspects, being part of a league, being part of the league's percentage," he said. "Knowing that it's something that I think could take a couple of years, I don't know if it's something I want to do at this stage of my career. So, these are questions I have to ask myself before making a decision.”

Niemann insisted he has had no contact with the PGA Tour since the conclusion of the LIV season in August. He will likely be suspended for 12 months should he seek a return, but he indicated that he would jump at the opportunity should tour bosses in Ponte Vedra Beach allow him back sooner.

“Obviously, if they can open a door for me somehow, that would be incredible," he added. "And if not, it will open eventually. In the end, they're going to need good players, and competition always demands having the best players together.”

Niemann's comments were echoed by fellow LIV member Adrian Meronk, who was also a winner on Sunday, taking down the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The Pole said: "It's been weird. It's been a very strange year on LIV, obviously finding out about Saudis backing off and finding new investors. There are still a lot of unknowns that we are not sure of.

"And to be honest, it's hard from a player's perspective to make a decision. So I'll just wait and see. We still have a couple of weeks, but as I said, this helps a lot. I have to really reconsider and see what's going to happen."

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Source: “AOL Sports”