Joaquin Niemann and the Pressures of Internal Expectation

At just 19 years old, Joaquin Niemann arrived at Augusta National in 2018 for his Masters debut as an amateur, with a mouth full of braces and heart full of dreams. He’d qualified for the U.S. Open the year prior so this was his second major championship appearance. Having won the Latin American Amateur Championship to earn the invitation, he was thrilled to become the third Chilean to do so in the past four seasons, following Matias Dominguez and Toto Gana, previous winners of the same tournament.

He spent the week leading up to the Masters playing practice rounds, in the Crow’s Nest, hanging out with his family and friends, and embracing the experience. Playing in The Masters was clearly something Joaquin had thought about a lot, as he was prepared with a clear set of goals for the week: he wanted to take in as much as he could, do his best, inspire young golfers in Chile, use his influence to grow the game in a country where golf was far less accessible, and most importantly, have fun.

He described the feeling of his practice rounds on Monday and Tuesday as “totally different” than the practice rounds he’d played prior, but wasn’t letting the nerves get to him.

Joaquin would play practice rounds with Sergio Garcia, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Jose Marie Olazabal, Kevin Kisner and more. He was gracious for the advice they’d offer but most impressed with how normal they seemed, something that hadn’t been captured on TV.

While he’d go on to miss the cut, he described the week as unforgettable, left with a smile, and was more motivated than ever to return.

Even from a young age his vision extended far beyond success on the course. As a young junior golfer in Chile, there wasn’t much competition for players like Joaquin Niemann and Mito Pereira. They’d win all of the local events, but with limited opportunity they weren’t able to properly contextualize their skill level. They’d have to raise money to travel internationally to play against better players and develop their games. There just wasn’t enough interest in the game in Latin America, and therefore wasn’t enough natural talent to compete against. Niemann knew this was an issue he’d want to help fix one day. Every chance he got he spoke passionately about inspiring the Latin American youth and making golf more popular in Chile.

He also spoke of a loftier goal he had in mind: to become the first Chilean-born PGA Tour winner, and to become the first Chilean born major champion.

Niemann would turn pro after the 2018 Masters and two seasons later accomplish one of those goals. He’d win the 2020 A Military Tribute at Greenbrier in commanding fashion, finishing six strokes ahead of a field that contained players like Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland, and Sebastian Munoz. He’d become the first Chilean-born PGA Tour winner.

He spoke of the mental approach he took heading into the final round with a two stroke lead:

And his emotions poured out after the win, having completed one of the goals he’d spoken about just years prior:

His confidence would grow throughout the next two seasons with a handful of top five finishes before claiming his second PGA Tour victory in 2022 at The Genesis Invitational, Tiger Woods’ event that boasts one of the strongest fields of the season. Following this win, Niemann would describe a mental approach that was vastly different to his approach from Greenbrier two years prior.

At just 23 years old his win at one of the tour’s best events established Joaquin Niemann as one of the top talents in the game. Most importantly, it proved to himself that he truly can compete with any player in the world.

In August of 2022, midway through LIV Golf’s inaugural season, Joaquin Niemann announced that he’d be joining, and would eventually take on captaincy of Torque GC. Torque is infused with Latin American flair and he plays alongside some of his closest friends in Mito Pereira, Carlos Ortiz, and Sebastian Munoz.

If you get the opportunity to follow his group at an event you’ll notice that Latin American influence in the surrounding gallery. You’ll see his neon Torque logo spattered on merchandise, and you’ll hear the recognizable shouts of “Vamos Joaco Niemann!”. This endeavor into LIV Golf has provided Niemann and his closest friends with further opportunity to enrich the game in Latin America, to provide playing opportunities and increase the accessibility of golf in these disadvantaged countries.

Ahead of the 2023 Chilean Open, the president of the Chilean Golf Federation praised both Joaquin and Mito for their ongoing efforts to support the game in the region.

Joaco and Mito have also helped establish the Elite Tour, and continue to serve as ambassadors to the program. The Elite Tour is a junior golf program hosting tournaments throughout Chile, and in 2024 each winner was flown to the LIV Golf event in Mexico City to experience a top tier professional tournament, that Niemann would go on to win. The director of operations for the Elite Tour, Javier Peon-Vega hopes that in 5-10 years, one of their current participants could be competing on one of the world’s top tours. Niemann’s efforts have made golf increasingly accessible in Chile, and his performances have inspired a new generation to take up the game.

Chilean players currently make up over 10 of the worlds top 1,000 amateurs and over 18,000 kids are participating in golf programs in Chile, a high watermark for the country and a number they hope to continue improving on.

Despite Joaquin Niemann’s successes, one goal from 2018 remains unchecked: becoming the first Chilean-born player to win a major championship.

His major performances have shown glimmers of brilliance, but often feature momentary lapses resulting in bad stretches of holes. In the 2020 US Open he was hovering around the top 10 for the first three rounds before a final round 77. In the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah he was tied for seventh entering the final round before losing three shots to the field and finishing in 30th. Both the 2021 and 2022 Masters followed a similar pattern—strong play bookended by a poor round or poor stretch of holes. The story repeated in 2024 at Augusta National.

These inconsistent finishes reflect the pressure of Niemann’s internal expectations. He holds himself to the highest possible standard in the biggest events the game has to offer. His game—shotmaking, clutch moments, elite putting— rivals the worlds best. Yet, in major championships, he sometimes loses that free, fun mindset that drives his success. As if he’s momentarily consumed by the need to check that final box from his 19-year-old-self’s checklist.

Criticism of his results in major championships isn’t entirely unjustified. His finishes don’t align with his undeniable talent, and those that follow him closely know he’s capable of more. However, much of the criticism he faces stems from a tribal tour vs. tour agenda, where the most vocal doubters present as objective viewers but only seek to tear down the tour he plays for. They seek to use a captivating 26 year old who continuously makes concerted efforts to enrich his own communities and help out those in need to further an unrelated agenda. Joaquin’s already done so much for the game, firmly established himself as a top 10 player globally, and recorded nine professional wins. His finishes in major championships, though short of his and our expectations, don’t define his talent or character. They simply highlight how difficult golf is, they highlight the relentless challenge this game offers. Much of the criticism sent Joaquin Niemann’s way stems from the LIV Golf-PGA Tour divide, where tribalism fuels irrational scrutiny of his game, rather than fair judgement. His pursuit of one of golf’s greatest accomplishments and his continual development as a both a person and a player, and the struggles that come alongside that pursuit should be celebrated — not used as a battleground for tour loyalties.

Having just come off of his best finish in a major championship with a tie for 8th at the PGA Championship, he’ll be as motivated as ever to continue improving. The story at Quail Hollow began familiarly, with some struggles in the opening round where he found himself tied for 98th. But then it was back to the Niemann we’ve become used to watching. He was unrestrained by any internal expectations, able to swing freely and play his game. He’d go on to gain over 11 strokes on the field in the final three rounds, second only to Scottie Scheffler in that stretch. He became the 19 year old at Augusta that just wanted to have fun and do his best, he became the 21 year old at The Greenbrier who wasn’t worried about the finish line, he became the 23 year old at Riviera that knew he could compete with anyone in the world. He was out there having fun, full of self-belief, and unburdened by the thought of checking off that final box.

At 26 years old Niemann’s career is the perfect recipe for a major champion. Take a little bit of that 19 year old just out there having fun and doing his best, sprinkle in some of that 21 year old that isn’t thinking about what’s at the finish line, and add a hefty amount of that 23 year old who knows he’s got what it takes to compete with the best in the world, because he is one of the best in the world.

He’s already accomplished more in golf than he could ever imagine. He’s inspired the Latin American youth, he’s developed programs to make golf more accessible in his communities, and he’s established himself as one of the games great players. His first top 10 in a major comes much later than any of us who have been following him for years would expect, but it will serve as motivation for the future, and more importantly as a reminder of the talent he possesses.

If you aren’t on the Joaquin Niemann bandwagon, get your ticket now. He’s got years of exceptional golf ahead of him, one of the most aesthetically pleasing swings, and he’s just a kid out there having fun and looking to check off that one last box - a major championship.