‘Open a Door for Me’: Joaquin Niemann Urges PGA Tour to Reconsider Return Amid Shaky LIV Future

Joaquin Niemann now faces a major decision, with his LIV Golf future uncertain and a return to the PGA Tour still complicated. The 27-year-old has acknowledged he is weighing whether to remain with LIV or pursue another route back to the PGA Tour, with a decision expected within the next few weeks. The uncertainty marks a striking turn in Niemann’s career. In February 2022, he appeared firmly established on the PGA Tour, winning the Genesis Invitational for his second Tour title after rounds of 63, 63, 68 and 71. Just six months later, however, he left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf.

Since then, Niemann has found considerable success on the Saudi-backed circuit, establishing himself as one of LIV’s leading players. Now, over four years after leaving the PGA Tour, he is at another crossroads—one that could define the next chapter of his career.

Fast forward to this week, and Niemann’s comments suggest that the door to a PGA Tour return may not be completely closed. Asked about the possibility, he said: “Obviously, if they can open a door for me somehow, that would be incredible. And if not, it will open eventually.” The quote, translated from Spanish, came in an interview with Chilean outlet La Tercera, as reported by Golf Monthly.

The 27-year-old gave the interview before winning the Abierto de Chile on October 4. Despite that latest victory, Niemann hasn’t decided on his future, though he expects to determine his next move within the next few weeks.

Niemann laid out his choice plainly: “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.”

LIV is asking players to make that call during its most uncertain stretch. The Saudi Public Investment Fund is no longer backing the league, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early September. The proposed LIV 2.0 would make players majority equity holders.

Asked whether becoming a LIV shareholder had swayed his thinking, Niemann offered a measured response: “I think both [sides] have their very positive aspects, being part of a league, being part of the league’s percentage. 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.”

In his own words, Niemann’s hesitation is more about timing and commitment than any lack of belief in LIV’s future. He did not dismiss LIV 2.0 as a bad idea. Instead, he suggested he is still weighing whether committing to it makes sense at this stage of his career.

Joaquin Niemann was not hopeful about a quick return. “No, they have their rules, and the truth is there’s nothing that can be done,” he said.

Per Golf Monthly, Niemann will be ineligible to compete on the PGA Tour for the best part of a year after playing in LIV Golf’s last event of 2026 in August. His route back is further complicated by PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp’s comments that the Tour is not considering another returning-member programme like the one introduced in January, which applied to players who had won a major championship or The Players Championship between 2022 and 2025.

Niemann’s two PGA Tour victories—the 2019 Greenbrier, where he became the first Chilean to win on Tour, and the 2022 Genesis Invitational—do not meet those criteria. Rolapp has also clarified that any player seeking to return must first be free of their LIV Golf contract obligations, adding another hurdle to Niemann’s potential comeback.

Europe offers no easy escape route either. Golf Monthly reports that Niemann lost his DP World Tour status before this season after failing to meet the minimum event requirement. To regain his status, he would have to come through Q-School or earn his way back by winning an event after receiving a sponsor invitation.

He has still played well there since LIV’s season ended in August, with a tie for second at the Amgen Irish Open and a tie for 21st at the BMW PGA Championship.

Niemann is the Torque GC captain and has nine LIV titles, two of them this year. On Sunday, rounds of 64, 73, 69 and 67 earned him a four-shot win at Club de Golf Las Brisas de Chicureo in Chile. He finished at 15-under, took his 23rd professional title and won his first Chilean Open.

LIV’s proposed rescue deal with BC Partners is itself conditional on player support. Golf Monthly reports that by October 13, at least half of the players with eligible claims must agree to the deal, with those players accounting for at least two-thirds of the total value of player claims.

That uncertainty has already prompted movement among LIV players, with Sergio Garcia filing to terminate his contract. Niemann, meanwhile, has stopped short of committing to LIV 2.0. Speaking to reporters after the BMW PGA Championship, he said he hadn’t decided, leaving his future tied not only to his own plans but also to the direction LIV ultimately takes.

Niemann ended with what sounded like a pointed message to the PGA Tour: “In the end, they’re going to need good players, and competition always demands having the best players together.”

The remark underlines his belief that, regardless of how the current divide between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf plays out, the sport ultimately benefits from having its best players competing on the same stage.

Whether the PGA Tour agrees is another matter. By Niemann’s account, he has two options and a narrowing window to choose between them—and that window is closing just as LIV’s own deadline approaches.

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