Defending champion Joaquín Niemann returns to Sentosa Golf Club to defend his title at Aramco LIV Golf Singapore this week.
The Torque GC’s captain called Singapore one of LIV Golf’s toughest venues and is eager to compete again after a strong showing there last year.
“I’m really excited to be back here in Sentosa,” Niemann said. “I think it’s one of the most challenging courses we play during the year. I played some of my best golf here last year, so it’s nice to come back.”
Joaquin Niemann…the defending champion
Niemann highlighted the greens as both visually striking and challenging.
“You feel like you’re looking at a piece of art when you see the greens,” he said. “You really have to read the lines well and commit to some big breaking putts.”
Niemann believes success this week hinges on precision off the tee, with many holes demanding careful club selection over simply choosing the driver.
“There are a lot of really tough tee shots,” he said. “You’re hitting different clubs like 3-woods and even 7-woods off the tee, so positioning is going to be really important.”
The course also contrasts with last week’s much shorter Hong Kong venue. Niemann, 25, said he prefers Singapore, especially for the putting surfaces.
“The greens here suit my eye a lot more,” he explained. “In Hong Kong, they were very grainy and sometimes hard to judge the speed. Here, the putting is more delicate, and I feel more comfortable with that.”
Niemann also acknowledged the challenge of competing against Jon Rahm, who arrives in Singapore fresh from victory at LIV Golf Hong Kong.
Rahm has been consistently strong for years, and Niemann said competing with him pushes him to improve.
“It’s really competitive,” Niemann said. “Jon is one of the best players in the world, and battling with him the last couple of years has been great. When you have competition like that, it pushes you to work harder and get better.”
Unlike last season, when he secured multiple wins early in the year, Niemann is still pursuing his first victory of the current LIV Golf campaign. However, he remains convinced his game is close.
“I just need to improve a little bit in every area,” he said. “Golf is like that – sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don’t.”
Niemann said he intends to stick to his routine and savour the competition.
“I just need to stay in my lane and keep doing my process,” he said. “If I keep doing the right things, it’s just a matter of time.”
Returning to Singapore, where he won last year, has already given him a boost.
“I have really good memories here,” he said. “It’s nice to be back in a place where you’ve had success.”
