Joaquin Niemann is currently the 18th player in the world Data Golfcharged Sunday fees at Liv Golf Adelaide. Faced with a three-shot deficit, Neiman launched the final round and fired a bogey-free 7-under 65, winning the tournament three times. This is Chile's third career LIV golf title.
However, before Neimann took on the three-stroke victory, newly appointed CEO Scott O'Neill took part in the LIV Golf broadcast. His bold claims about the league.
“Outside the majors, if you want to see the best players in the world, you don't need to look too far at the leaderboard to know that there's only one place to see it. It's in liv.” Ta.
⛳§️♂️ #clock – Scott O'Neil, CEO of Liv Golf: “Outside the majors, if you want to see the best players in the world, there's only one place to see it. And it's in liv.” (h/t @livrandonions))
do you agree? pic.twitter.com/hd8wtzyuay
– Nuclr Golf (@nuclrgolf) February 16, 2025
The problem with that statement is that only five LIV players are currently one of Data Golf's top 50. Certainly, three of them are in the top 10, but other than that, Liv has no top players in the world, making O'Neill's claim lightly parsed.
Liv's best player, Jon Rahm, is fourth in Datagolf. British man Tyrrell Hutton, who won the Dubai Desert Classic last month, is ranked 6th, while Open champion Bryson Decanbaugh is ranked 10th. The only player other than Rahm, Hatton, Deccanbo and Neiman is Sergio Garcia in the top 50, with a victory and three top 10 finishes in the final five starts in life. Garcia has played quite a bit over the past nine months and is hoping to rejoin the European Ryder Cup team this year.
Meanwhile, PGA Tour players make up 45 of the top 3 and top 50 players in the Data Golf Rankings. Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele currently hold the top three. Even at this week's Genesis Invitational at the Torrey Pines, the third signature event of the season, there are 46 of the top 50 players in the official world golf rankings on the field.
LIV players can still compete with the best and best championships. Dechambeau and Koepka prove that with Pinehurst No. 2 and Oak Hill, respectively. Rahm won the 2023 Masters. This came seven months before jumping to Liv, but proved he could argue and won the majors he plays.
But O'Neill's claims about having the best players are paranoid and untrue.
Jack Mirco is a golf staff writer who plays SB Nation. Follow him with x @jack_milko.
