The importance of the Olympics in professional golf has been questioned by many since its return to the schedule in 2016, but for Joaquin Niemann, the opportunity to compete on the Olympic stage is one that ranks highly .
The men’s golf event kicks off in Paris on Thursday, with 60 golfers competing for Olympic gold. Defending champion Xander Schauffele , who prevailed in Tokyo three years ago, is among the golfers at the tournament. Golf returned to the Olympics after over 100 years away in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago, and since then its battle to be recognized at the top of the sport has been a struggle.
Its comeback in 2016 was far from ideal, with 16 of those who had qualified to compete in Brazil opting to withdraw from the men's event, including the likes of Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth.
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The main motivation behind the withdrawals was down to concerns about the spread of the Zika virus in the Brazilian capital, and whilst the health and safety issues posed an undeniable problem, it was not a good look for golf's hopes of remaining on the Olympic schedule passed the next Games in Tokyo.
Eight years on however golf has kept his place, and it feels like this time around the event means much more. One player who has echoed this sentiment is the leading man on the LIV Golf setup, Niemann. The Torque GC captain will represent Chile at Le Golf National, and despite his sport's relationship with the Olympics still a work in progress, for Niemann the chance to compete for gold is an 'honour'.
"I am excited to play, you don't get to play in the Olympics too often," Niemann told Mirror Sports after a tied-second finish at LIV Golf UK. "It is an honour to be there representing my country. I am hoping it is going to be a good week and then we can see what happens."
Niemann admitted at The Open earlier this month that he is currently playing the best golf of his career, having announced himself as a dominant figure on the LIV Golf circuit. With two regular season events to play, the Torque star is sitting pretty at the top ahead of Jon Rahm, with two wins under his belt.
Whilst it was Rahm who came out on top at LIV UK last weekend, Niemann's tied-second finish at JCB Golf & Country Club proved key in his hopes of being crowned the league's 2024 champion. Of course this form has not been represented in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), with LIV still continuing to host its events without ranking points on offer.
The Chilean has been unable to compete on the PGA Tour since making his Saudi switch in 2022, and with opportunities to see the world's best all on one golf course limited, Niemann is looking forward to the prospect of taking on Scottie Scheffler and co in Paris later this week.
"I have seen that [Le Golf National] is a great course on the internet and the TV," he added. "I am excited for it. We have got great players there. It is going to be a lot of fun having us all together there and playing for our countries." Niemann's Olympic experience will kick off on Thursday, where he will play with Alejandro Tosti of Argentina and Denmark's Thorbjørn Olesen in round one.
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