While Joaquín Niemann has had yet another forgettable year in the majors, it cannot be denied that the Chilean has shown real character to bounce back and win four times already on LIV Golf.
Joaquín Niemann is always under significant pressure whenever he tees it up at a major. He has been the biggest success story on LIV Golf, having won more titles than anyone else in the league’s history. However, taking that into the four biggest events of the year has been tricky for the 26-year-old.
Niemann’s major record is baffling, with just one top 10 in 26 starts. But he has reacted superbly on a number of occasions this season.
He won in Mexico City after The Masters, while it was a similar story in Virginia after the PGA Championship – the site of his best major finish. And he is well on his way towards securing his fifth win of the year at LIV Golf UK in his first event after Niemann missed the cut at The Open Championship.
Joaquín Niemann closing in on an achievement not seen since Tiger Woods in 2013
Niemann boasts a significant lead with one round to go at JCB. It would be such an impressive performance if he could secure a fifth victory.
It would also mean that he would have achieved something which has not been seen on one of the major tours since Tiger Woods in 2013.
Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images
Woods’ 11 year major drought is not only surprising because of his dominance up until the 2008 US Open, but also because he was still winning so many PGA Tour events.
In fact, in 2013, Woods won the Farmers Insurance Open, the WGC-Cadillac Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players Championship and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
That represents the last time a player won five times in one year on the same tour without picking up a major title.
Tiger Woods went one better four years earlier with amazing PGA Tour season
Remarkably, it was not the first time Woods managed to reach the landmark.
Incredibly, in 2009, Woods won six times without winning any of the majors. That year marked the first time since 2004 that Woods had failed to win any of the sport’s four biggest events.
He had missed a large part of the 2008 season after winning the US Open on virtually one leg at Torrey Pines. But he made up for lost time with his six victories.
It is perhaps a reminder that Niemann is indeed an elite player in this current era – even if he is yet to take that form onto the major stage.
