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Joaquin Niemann wants fellow Chilean Mito Pereira at LIV Golf. The LIV golfer has come out to state that he is doing "everything possible" to bring the latter to the Saudi-backed series.
Niemann, captain of LIV Golf's Torque GC team, has announced his interest in bringing PGA Tour’s Mito Pereira on to his side. The two-time PGA Tour winner, who defected to the rebel series earlier this year, said that he could imagine Pereira playing with him at LIV. The comments come ahead of the 14-event LIV Golf League launch in February.
Speaking to the Chilean newspaper La Tercera, Joaquin Niemann said:
"I would love to bring him, I'm doing everything possible, but in the end it's his decision… I imagine him playing the LIV. It would be ideal for him to be on the team, but that is not yet known. I hope it is. For me, at least, it would be ideal if he was on the team.”
It is pertinent to note that Mito Pereira has been linked with a move to LIV Golf for a while now. The Chilean golfer burst onto the scene in 2022 by leading the PGA Championship after 71 holes. Despite missing out on his first major title, the golfer has become a hot property. He went on to earn his PGA Tour card with victories on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2021.
With LIV Golf looking to expand ahead of the league’s launch in February, Pereira could be one of its biggest targets. Earlier in November, LIV CEO Greg Norman revealed that the series was looking at 6-7 more players from the PGA Tour.
Speaking to the media, Norman said:
"Basically, we're looking for maybe seven players, something like that."
Interestingly, he also added that the league was looking to take in players in the “Top 10, Top 20” on PGA Tour’s roster. Adding mystery to the same, LIV was set to announce its new 2023 lineup on December 21 but postponed it.
Despite its internal disputes, many still believe that LIV’s renewed roster would feature several big names from the PGA and DP World Tours. However, the new roster won’t be announced until January 2023.
Joaquin Niemann optimistic about LIV Golf’s quest for OWGR
During the interview with Chilean newspaper La Tercera, Joaquin Niemann also stated that he was optimistic about LIV's quest for world ranking points. Echoing the words of several LIV players and officials, the Torque GC team captain said that the rebel series would soon meet OWGR's criteria.
He said:
“We already have all the criteria to have a world ranking in the LIV. If they haven't done it, it's because of a pure monopoly there, political issues for which they don't take it out. But we already have all the criteria. We have the best players in the world on the tour and, if they don't, in the end they will look bad.”
It is pertinent to note that several players have kept LIV Golf’s offers aside as the series lacks OWGR recognition. It’s safe to say that the series will have more demand once they resolve the issue and LIV players start getting ranking points.
