Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann join LIV Golf as rival PGA tour hits biggest acquisition to date
After weeks of rumors, Cameron Smith has officially joined LIV Golf, bringing attention to a group of six players who have been added to the emerging rival team. Smith, Champion Golfer of the Year and winner of the Players Championship – the flagship event of the PGA Tour – is LIV Golf’s biggest acquisition to date as the 29-year-old has just stepped in the pinnacle of his playing career.
The No. 2 player in the world is not alone when switching from PGA Tour to LIV Golf. Smith is accompanied by Cameron Tringale, Harold Varner III, Marc Leishman, Anirban Lahiri and most notably his former Pres President Cup teammate Joaquin Niemann. The young Chilean has been a mainstay on the leaderboards throughout the 2021-22 season on the PGA Tour and won the biggest title of his career at the Genesis Invitational hosted by Tiger Woods in February.
The 23-year-old Niemann is said to have stood his ground against the fence that led to the decision. He was a participant in the BMW Championship’s PGA Tour players-only meeting during the week, and played practice rounds with the likes of Rory McIlroy ahead of the Tour Championship, where the two discussed his future. The world number 19 went to the LIV Boston event with no contract in hand and was ultimately shaken to make the jump from the PGA Tour.
Originally thought to be seven new faces, alleged PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Cameron Young has been rumored to be picking out newcomers for the LIV Boston event. However, with sweeping changes being made to the PGA Tour schedule and compensation, in addition to participating in team events and major championships in the future, the 25-year-old has decided to stay at home. again.
“Honestly, throughout the process of working with them, I was very excited,” Young said. “I think they’ve got a lot of great ideas. I think they’re doing some interesting things and with some changes coming, that’s what really helped me decide to stay and pursue the goals that I set. out for yourself, like doing the Presidents Cup or the Ryder Cup team and winning a major tournament, when all those things are just uncertain if you go.”
Leishman, Lahiri, and Tringale all fit the original mold of LIV’s target player: people who have had a moderately successful competitive career, but might be considered by some to be the dead. While the departures of those three will not affect the PGA Tour, Smith, Niemann and Varner can each be considered a significant loss.
Words of Smith’s interest in LIV Golf first appeared at a press conference following his impressive win at the 150th Open in St. Andrews. Without denying any possible connection at the time, Smith was later questioned at the St. Jude after Cameron Percy told an Australian radio station that Smith was as good as he left it.
“I have no comment on that,” Smith said when asked if he plans to join LIV Golf. “Like I said, I’m here to play the FedEx Cup Playoffs. That’s been my focus for the last week and a half, that’s what I’m here to do, I’m here to win the FedEx Cup Playoffs. And like I said, it will come from me, it won’t come from Cameron Percy.”
Smith, Niemann and Varner are all under the age of 33 with Varner being the eldest child. The East Carolina production is one of his weekly fan favorites and, equally important, is respected by his peers on the PGA Tour. While Varner did not have a single Tour win, he was close on a number of occasions and won impressively at the Saudi Arabia International in February.
Young but not necessarily experienced, Niemann has been on the PGA Tour for five seasons, making his professional debut in the spring of 2018. Putting Chilean golf on the map, he has become a tennis player again. other internationals must leave the PGA Tour.
With the arrival of the Presidential Cup, international team captain Trevor Immelman has been pushed into an insurmountable position. Losing two of his eight auto qualifiers and one stable of his countrymen to LIV, his quest to beat a more favored US team became increasingly difficult.
In the grand scheme of things, the lack of loyalty from international players to the PGA Tour may be LIV Golf’s biggest calling card – aside from lucrative contracts – as it embarks on becoming a major player. into a world tour. Important changes have been made to the PGA Tour schedule and overseas tournaments that may – or at least should be – in the future. However, without a visit to South America, Africa or Australia since the WGC Match in 2001, it is conceivable that people from outside the US simply do not view the tour in the same way as other tour operators. their former partner.
