The post Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann sign with LIV Golf, along with four others appeared first on Golf.

The post Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann sign with LIV Golf, along with four others appeared first on Golf.

The newest list of LIV Golf commits has officially been announced, and it includes long-rumored Australian major-winner Cameron Smith as well as 23-year-old rising Chilean star Joaquin Niemann. 

Smith is the reigning Players champion and also the newly minted winner of the Open Championship, where he bested Rory McIlroy at St. Andrews last month. He’s ranked No. 2 in the World Golf Ranking, making him easily the highest-ranked player that LIV has signed to date. 

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Niemann, who the AP reported was having second thoughts about joining LIV Golf, had not signed a contract with the upstart tour as of last weekend. He traveled to Boston Monday and planned to discuss his future with his father, per the report. On Monday, Niemann made his decision to join the new league.

Smith and Niemann, who are both in their 20s, break from the mold of the classic LIV golfer, most of whom are in their late 30s or 40s. The two new signees are not only young but they also both have won big-time titles on the PGA Tour this season. Niemann won the Genesis Invitational in dominant fashion in February, the same week in which LIV Golf took a massive hit due to published incendiary comments from Phil Mickelson. 

Just over six months later, Niemann will now tee it up on a different tour and is expected to be suspended by the PGA Tour, as has been the case with previous LIV signees. Same goes for Smith and the four other pros who this week made their LIV commitment official: Harold Varner III, Marc Leishman and Anirban Lahiri. Cameron Tringale said on social media over the weekend that he, too, would be joining LIV. The six players are expected to be the final LIV signings for this week.

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Smith’s inclusion was first reported in the immediate aftermath of his Open Championship victory and had been rumored long before that. He even received a question about it in the championship press conference from St. Andrews. When asked that evening, Smith responded tersely: “I just won the British Open and you’re going to ask about that. I think that’s pretty not that good.”

When pressed again, Smith said, “I don’t know mate. My team around me worries about all that stuff. I am here to win golf tournaments.”

Tuesday’s announcement comes on the heels of the PGA Tour’s 2022 season, which ended Sunday night with McIlroy’s victory at East Lake, and on the verge of the next LIV event, which kicks off Friday just outside of Boston.

After not hosting an event for a month, LIV will host multiple tournaments in September while the PGA Tour looks forward to the Presidents Cup at the end of the month. Keen golf observers know that sentence on its own, considering the recent defections, is chaotic.

Smith would be an essential piece of the International Team roster, as would Niemann. But given the Presidents Cup is owned and operated by the PGA Tour, it is expected that neither Smith nor Niemann or even the lower-ranked Leishman and Lahiri will be allowed to compete in Charlotte.

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The post ‘No, I’m not going’: Swirling LIV rumors vex players at U.S. Open appeared first on Golf.

The post ‘No, I’m not going’: Swirling LIV rumors vex players at U.S. Open appeared first on Golf.

BROOKLINE, Mass. — “You got any scoops for me?”

Joaquin Niemann grinned from the edge of the putting green.

This has become the theme of U.S. Open week. Who knows what? The media wants inside info from the players. That’s typical. But these days the players want inside info from the media, too. LIV’s Saudi-backed breakaway tour has swiped big-time names from the PGA Tour — Misters Mickelson, DeChambeau, Johnson, Reed and more — and now there’s an obvious question: Who’s next?

“Everyone wants to know what’s going on and who’s going and who’s not going,” Matthew Fitzpatrick said earlier in the week.

Hence Niemann’s question.

But I had one of my own. What were his plans? For several months, Niemann’s name has been mixed in among the rumored. Sergio Garcia, who played in last week’s LIV event, has long been among Niemann’s golfing mentors. The two also share an agent.

Niemann confirmed he’s not looking to make the leap, though.

“Nothing to tell from me. I want to do my best to beat all these guys,” he said, gesturing across the practice area, where top-ranked players dotted the scene. “They’re still here and as long as they’re here, I’m not going anywhere. No chance.”

Niemann is among the Tour’s youngest, most talented stars. The Chilean golfer, who won the Genesis Invitational in February, is just 23 years old and is ranked No. 17 in the world; nobody younger is ranked higher. He’s the type of player who would make a splash at LIV, which is thus far mostly populated by golfers past their competitive peaks. But not now.

“If I was 40? Maybe it would be different,” Niemann concluded.

LIV has now snagged an all-time great in Phil Mickelson. It has Ryder Cup legends in Garcia, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood. It has Masters champs including Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed and Charl Schwartzel. It has made a notable dent in the world rankings. But the next step for Greg Norman’s breakaway series would be to lock down a top player at the peak of his powers. Johnson, at No. 16 in the world, is currently the circuit’s top-ranked pro, followed by DeChambeau (No. 29) and Kevin Na (No. 33). Rumors swirl around other big names. They hear the swirl.

“Honestly, I’m so happy. You actually asked me,” Xander Schauffele said. “You’re the first one. No. I’m not going. I want to play against the best players in the world, and they’re on the PGA Tour. Nobody that has left has moved the needle for me.”

Not everybody was quite as eager to have the discussion. Brooks Koepka, whose brother, Chase, was in the LIV field last week, snapped back at one reporter who asked if he’d consider making the jump.

“I haven’t given it that much thought,” he said. “I don’t understand. I’m trying to focus on the U.S. Open, man. I legitimately don’t get it. I’m tired of the conversations. I’m tired of all this stuff. Like I said, y’all are throwing a black cloud on the U.S. Open. I think that sucks. I actually do feel bad for them for once because it’s a s—– situation. We’re here to play, and you are talking about a [LIV] event that happened last week.”

Collin Morikawa bristled at the same subject.

“One of my best friends just texted me about this tweet from a random account saying, hey, there’s these rumors,” he said. “It’s crazy to see and hear all these rumors because that’s what they are, right? I can read all these things, but everyone tells their kids don’t believe what’s on the internet. That’s what we’re doing. That’s exactly what we’re doing right now.”

Morikawa’s comments were a reminder that beyond the Rory McIlroys, Justin Thomases and Jon Rahms of the world there is a layer of Tour pros that would prefer not to think much about other tours at all, never mind address their dynamics in press conferences.

“Who doesn’t like gossip, right? But it also becomes a distraction, and you don’t want to be focused on this or that,” he said. “You want to be focused on playing golf. I’m not going to blame it on any part of my golf game. Put that aside. But it is an extra distraction on thinking about this, thinking about that and worrying about who is going to ask what.”

There’s the conundrum. Those who haven’t been asked want to be, just so they can set the record straight. Others, who field questions constantly, are sick of the sideshow it has created. Some players are undecided on their futures. Others, like Johnson or DeChambeau or Pat Perez, were outwardly committed to the PGA Tour — right until they weren’t.

One thing’s for sure: The questions aren’t going away. This represents a seismic shift in the status of men’s professional golf. As a result, everyone’s curious. Some PGA Tour pros are hoping nobody else leaves because they’re worried about the preservation of their tour. Others are simultaneously unsure about leaving while also reluctant to miss the massive guaranteed cash getting handed out. So the chatter continues.

“I’m sure it’s the same with y’all. You can’t go anywhere without somebody bringing it up,” Thomas told the media early in the week. “It’s sad. This is the U.S. Open, and this is an unbelievable venue, a place with so much history, an unbelievable field, so many storylines, and yet that seems to be what all the questions are about.”

Thursday morning means real, counting golf shots. It means simpler storylines about birdies and bogeys and rough and greens. The beginning of the U.S. Open means that players — and fans, and media — have somewhere else to focus their attention.

The rumors will roll on in the background.

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The post Masters Recap: What you need to know from Thursday at Augusta National appeared first on Golf.

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Tiger is exceeding expectations. A former Masters runner-up leads the field. The hottest golfers in the world are right in the mix.

Sean Zak and Dylan Dethier break down the highlights of the opening round of the 2022 Masters.

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The post How much does footwear affect your swing? We put it to the test appeared first on Golf.

The post How much does footwear affect your swing? We put it to the test appeared first on Golf.

A good pair of golf shoes might cost you $200. A bad pair might cost you 25 yards. 

For the thousands of factors affecting the golf swing, feet — and, more pressingly, the shoes attached to them — frequently get overlooked. After all, our feet are our only point of contact with the ground throughout the golf swing. They are a source of power, speed and, in the wrong environment, even the source of injuries. 

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To test this, we conducted an experiment with our friend (and noted shoe aficionado) Joaquin Niemann. First, we had Joaquin swing barefoot. Next, in a pair of sandals, then sneakers, then snowboard boots (above) and then, finally, spiked golf shoes. 

In golf shoes, Joaquin was his regular self — pumping drives 320 yards with ease through a narrow chute. While swinging barefoot, in sandals and in sneakers, he was a shell of himself, losing ball speed and dispersion. And once we squeezed him into the snowboard boots, we watched as his lack of lower body movement forced him to compensate with his upper half, leading to drops in speed and huge duck hooks. 

The lesson? Your lower body plays a major role in your golf swing. If you’re looking to add distance, learn how to activate your legs and drive through your feet. Oh, and don’t skimp on the spikes — your game will thank you. 

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The post The Ping club from Joaquin Niemann’s bag that could benefit your game appeared first on Golf.

The post The Ping club from Joaquin Niemann’s bag that could benefit your game appeared first on Golf.

We constantly preach the value of getting fit for equipment that’s built to your game. But it’s important to point out there’s nothing wrong with tabs on the gear being played in the professional ranks. Even if you can’t handle the driver in Cameron Champ’s bag, recreational golfers can still glean valuable bits of insights by simply taking a closer look at the setups.

During the latest episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipped podcast, Ping Tour rep Kenton Oates offered a detailed look at the Ping equipment inside Genesis Invitational winner Joaquin Niemann’s bag. Niemann’s setup works for his golf swing, but there’s a club he carries on a regular basis that more golfers should be embracing.

That would be the 7-wood.

Up until about 5 years ago, the high-lofted fairway wood was almost non-existent on the PGA Tour. But as some of the Tour’s biggest names, including Dustin Johnson, Adam Scott and Bubba Watson, started to see the benefits of increasing launch with a sole design that made it easier to extricate the ball from the rough, other players started to take note.

In Niemann’s case, he finally embraced Ping’s G425 Max 7-wood — he prefers the Max’s higher toe and how it sits on the ground at address — at the 2020 Memorial Tournament. With Muirfield Village playing firmer than usual prior to Jack Nicklaus’ major redesign, Niemann asked Oates if there was a club he would recommend to help him hold the greens on par 5s.

Niemann initially didn’t like Oates’ suggestion but warmed to the idea of adding a 7-wood after further discussions.

“I remember he played a hybrid that first year on Tour when he got his card,” said Oates on this week’s podcast. “We talked about [a 7-wood] like we always had, but he really liked that hybrid. Then at Memorial, in 2020, Jack’s place was playing super firm and he mentioned a need for a club to stop balls [on the green] on par 5s. He was struggling from that 250-255 range into greens. I told him, ‘Dude, it’s a 7-wood.’ And he gave me that look that all 20-year-olds give me — the I’m not playing a 7-wood look. He thought it was going to go too high, but I told him that wouldn’t be the case.”

To solve Niemann’s potential height concerns, Oates cut the club to 40.5 inches — slightly shorter than a standard 7-wood — for control purposes. Niemann hasn’t changed his setup since that week.

“He’s loyal to that 7-wood,” Oates said.

This brings us to the part of the story where recreational golfers learn something from the pros. Similar to Niemann’s initial reaction, it’s easy to discount a 7-wood as a club designed for the mid-to-high-handicap stick who struggles to get the ball airborne. But the club has benefits for a wider range of handicaps and abilities.

The higher launch and increased spin not only make it a good option for approach shots but as an option off the tee when you’re struggling to get it in play.

“There’s no reason for 3-irons,” Oates said. “I get that 3-hybrids are good, but give a 7-wood a chance against the hybrid and see how much closer and straighter you hit it.”

With Niemann notching another win for the 7-wood, now is as good a time as ever to give the club a chance if you’re struggling to find a reliable fairway wood.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below.

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The post Why so many experts love Joaquin Niemann’s golf swing appeared first on Golf.

The post Why so many experts love Joaquin Niemann’s golf swing appeared first on Golf.

Joaquin Niemann notched his second-career PGA Tour win last week in rather impressive fashion. He didn’t just claim it at the legendary Riviera Country Club, amongst a notably strong field. He did it by finishing 19 under, just one shy of the tournament record.

It was one of those wins that avid golf fans, despite their various horses in the race, seemed universally happy about. It makes sense, after all. He’s a young, talented international golfer getting his dues, and a nice guy with a cool golf swing to boot.

Along those lines, why is it that so many golfers — spanning coaches, fellow Tour pros, fans and media people like me — seem to rave about Niemann’s golf swing? Without claiming to speak for everyone, let’s break down some of the big-picture reasons why.

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The post The record-setting wedges Joaquin Niemann used at the Genesis appeared first on Golf.

The post The record-setting wedges Joaquin Niemann used at the Genesis appeared first on Golf.

Welcome to Spotted on Tour, where we’ll highlight buzzy apparel, gear, gadgets and more that caught our eye over the weekend. Better yet, we’ll help you get your hands on your own.

Joaquin Niemann glided to victory on Sunday at the Genesis Invitational, and according to Ping’s engineers, that was entirely by design.

The 23-year-old Chilean conquered Riviera Country Club — long one of the PGA Tour’s trickiest setups — with ease en route to his second career PGA Tour victory, a two-stroke win that read more like a wire-to-wire thumping (just the second in Riv history, next to only Charlie Sifford). Niemann’s was an effort tournament host Tiger Woods must have found endearing, if not familiar; it was easy dominance, with no spoilage of cracks nor weaknesses.

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Riviera is tough for pros because of its narrowness. Its greens are postage stamps. Kikuyu grass and sloping bunkers gobble mishits and careless efforts. Only the smart, the calculated, the cool survive.

It was these conditions that Ping thought about when crafting its Glide 3.0 wedges, which were in Niemann’s bag for the entirety of his win at the Genesis. When the Glide 3.0 first debuted professionally back in 2021, its aim was simple: provide top-level forgiveness without sacrificing an ounce of performance.

With the Glide 3.0, Ping’s engineers completely overhauled the design, focusing on providing increased spin, extra-soft feel, and of course, high levels of forgiveness. To do this, they inserted larger Cutom Tuning Port inserts behind the head and back cavities for extra spin and improved trajectory. With a series of different head options, there’s a selection for every type of player, from Tour-winner all the way down to high-handicap.

To learn more about the Glide 3.0, check out the link below.

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The post Winner’s bag: Joaquin Niemann at the 2022 Genesis Invitational appeared first on Golf.

The post Winner’s bag: Joaquin Niemann at the 2022 Genesis Invitational appeared first on Golf.

Joaquin Niemann shot consecutive 63s and became the first wire-to-wire winner at Riviera since Charlie Sifford (1969) with a two-shot win at the 2022 Genesis Invitational. Take a look at the Ping clubs and Titleist golf ball Niemann used to secure his second PGA Tour title.

Driver: Ping G410 LST (Graphite Design Tour AD DI Black 6X shaft), 10 degrees

3-wood: Ping G425 Max (Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8X shaft), 14.5 degrees

7-wood: Ping G425 Max (Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8X shaft), 20 degrees

Irons: Ping iBlade (4-9; True Temper Project X 6.0 shafts)

Wedges: Ping Glide 3.0 (46 degrees; True Temper Project X 6.5 shaft), Ping Glide Forged Pro (52, 56, 60 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts)

Putter: Ping PLD Anser Prototype (35 inches)

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Want to overhaul your bag for 2022? Find a fitting location near you at GOLF’s affiliate company True Spec Golf. For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast below. For more exclusive robot-testing insights, join InsideGOLF for only $20/year.

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Joaquin Niemann set records all week long at Riviera. They weren’t for naught.

The 23-year-old Chilean breezed to his second career PGA Tour title by winning the Genesis Invitational on Sunday at Riviera, closing with an even-par 71 to beat Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young by two.

Niemann, who finished 19 under for the week, entered Sunday with a three-shot lead over Young, a rookie, and a six-shot edge over Viktor Hovland. Niemann smashed records Thursday through Saturday en route to his sizable lead.

His opening-round 63 tied the lowest first-round score in Genesis Invitational history, and he set both 36-hole (126, 16 under) and 54-hole (194, 19 under) scoring records. Now he’s the event’s first wire-to-wire winner since Charlie Sifford in 1969.

It’s the second career PGA Tour victory for Niemann, who previously won A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in 2019.

“I felt I had to be really focused during the round. All I wanted to think about was the next shot and trying to feel my body, how I was feeling, trying to feel the shot I was trying to do,” Niemann said. “Yeah, when I finished it was like, Hell, yeah, it took forever, we’re finally done and I can have a smile on my face and just think about it like it was a fun day.”

Niemann still led Young by three at the turn on Sunday, as both players shot even par on the front. Young bogeyed 10 and Niemann one-upped Young’s birdie on 11 by chipping in for eagle. That pushed him to 21 under and gave him a five-stroke lead with seven to play.

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Stalwarts like Justin Thomas, Hovland and Morikawa, who would have vaulted to world No. 1 with a win, were chasing the lead all day, but it was too big of a deficit, and Niemann wasn’t budging. He was 7 for 7 scrambling through 13 holes, but he failed to get up and down to save par on 14 and 15. Then Young added an unlikely birdie on 15. He had an awkward stance from a fairway bunker and had to lay up short of the green, but he holed that from 53 yards. Just like that the lead was two with three to play.

Young went bogey-birdie on 16 and 17, and Morikawa, in the group ahead, birdied two to the last three to set the clubhouse lead at 17 under. Leading Morikawa and Young by two on the 18th, Niemann found the fairway, found the green and two-putted to victory.

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The post What does the Genesis Invitational leader think of the Saudi League? Well … appeared first on Golf.

The post What does the Genesis Invitational leader think of the Saudi League? Well … appeared first on Golf.

He didn’t say yes. And he didn’t say no. He actually didn’t say much of anything.  

At this week’s Genesis Invitational, two events are running near simultaneously. The tournament itself — which Joaquin Niemann leads by three shots after a 68 during Saturday’s third round — and potential tournaments, or whatever may come of a proposed breakaway league funded by Saudi money. And player after player at the former have been asked about potentially playing in the latter. 

Said Collin Morikawa: “As it goes to the Saudi stuff, I’m all for the PGA Tour. I’ve been a pro for two and a half years. My entire life, I’ve thought about the PGA Tour, I’ve thought about playing against Tiger [Woods], beating his records, whatever, something that might not even be breakable, but I’ve never had another thought of what’s out there, right? I’ve never thought about anything else. It’s always been the PGA Tour.”

Said Max Homa, the defending champion at the Genesis: “My allegiance to the PGA Tour? (Laughs.) Yeah, I don’t know, the stuff’s crazy. I, for one, have not signed an NDA, nor have I talked to anybody who would offer me an NDA. I don’t know anything. It’s been fun reading all of your guys’ articles and piecing them all together. I heard one yesterday that someone said 17 people signed, and somebody else said they haven’t heard anybody, so I guess that’s kind of telling of what’s going on.

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“We think about it a lot, talk about it a lot. It’s an interesting dynamic we’ve got going. I love the PGA Tour. Driving up to this golf course with memories of winning a golf tournament that Tiger Woods handed me a trophy, they don’t have that in a breakaway league.”

Said Adam Scott: “I think the schedule they’re proposing is very appealing to probably most golfers, I would think. You know, depending what your goals are in golf, I think the schedule is very appealing. From that side of things, I would consider doing that, for sure. From a lifestyle side of things, yes.”

Has Scott had any conversations with the league?

“Yes, yeah, but like everyone else, we’re sworn to secrecy.”

Joining those three in being asked were Rory McIlroy (team PGA Tour ), Jon Rahm (team PGA Tour), Justin Thomas (team PGA Tour), Viktor Hovland (team PGA Tour — unless everyone else left) and Pat Perez (team PGA Tour — unless he was offered). Which brings us to Niemann, who after Thursday’s first round was asked: “Where are you on the Saudi situation? Have you had talks with the Saudi-backed league?”

He gave a 19-word answer. And none of those words was yes. Or no. 

“I don’t really want to say anything, any comment about it,” Niemann said. “I just don’t want to say anything, sorry.”

On Saturday, it was brought up again, with a reporter asking: “Have you been in talks at all with the Saudi league?” His answer:

“Yeah, I mean, obviously a lot going on,” Niemann said. “I don’t want to — I don’t know much about it and I don’t want to say anything about it. I just wait.”

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To note, earlier this month, Niemann played in the Asian Tour’s Saudi International, which is backed by the same group behind the proposed league, and he needed a waiver from the PGA Tour to do so.   

Is Niemann’s answer this week much ado about nothing? Maybe. Would it look awkward if Niemann goes on to win one of the PGA Tour’s premier events, on one of its premier courses, and is potentially considering leaving should the breakaway league get off the ground? Maybe, too. Is it also his business, and his alone? Definitely. 

One thing, however, is well known. Should he need counsel, Niemann has no shortage of players to seek out. Except for maybe McIlroy. 

“Is there any part of you that is, A, tired of talking about it and …” a reporter asked him on Wednesday. 

“Oh, I’m so sick of it,” McIlroy said. 

The post What does the Genesis Invitational leader think of the Saudi League? Well … appeared first on Golf.