There’s something about a high-stakes Sunday that can really get the heart racing, and at LIV Golf Adelaide, Joaquin Niemann showed exactly why.
Entering the final round a few shots behind the leaders, the Torque GC captain knew he needed to “do something special.”
Task completed.
Niemann dazzled with the day’s only bogey-free round—a stellar 7-under 65—to overtake Fireballs GC’s Abraham Ancer, who led for most of the afternoon before stumbling with three late bogeys.
Niemann finished at 13 under, three strokes clear of Ancer and his Torque teammate Carlos Ortiz, both of whom shot 71.
It’s the second straight LIV Golf season in which Niemann has posted an early victory. Last year, he notched wins at the first and third events, topping the season-long standings until ending up runner-up to Legion XIII’s Jon Rahm in the Individual Championship.
Two months ago, he took the PIF Saudi International presented by SoftBank Investment Advisers and locked in the International Series championship. Niemann believes his form now is even sharper and will only keep improving.
“Days like today makes me grow as a player,” said Niemann, who also won the Australian Open in 2023.
“There is a lot I have to take from today and learn from it because today was a really good day.
If I could have these Sundays more often, chasing leaders, it would be really good for my game.”
The Adelaide crowd went wild for the Fireballs GC, who claimed the team title by six shots over Rahm’s Legion XIII, with Torque GC finishing third.
Despite a tough finish, Ancer—another former Australian Open champion—still found reasons to celebrate, especially since he’ll enter LIV Golf’s next event in Hong Kong as defending champ.
“Obviously the last two holes were rough to finish with bogey-bogey, having a chance to win the tournament,” Ancer said. “It’s always tough, but I think it’s just fuel for the rest of the season.
I feel like my game is trending in the right direction. I like where things are headed.”
Ancer shared the 36-hole lead with Ortiz and Majesticks GC’s Sam Horsfield, then picked up birdies on his opening two holes to seize early control.
He stayed flawless until a bunker misadventure at the par-3 14th. Meanwhile, Niemann birdied the 15th for his sixth of the round, which gave him the outright lead.
His approach play was particularly sharp, hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation. The final-round 65 also tied Riyadh winner Adrian Meronk’s low round of the day.
“The way I played today, I feel like it talks a lot on how I’ve been working, how I’ve been practicing,” Niemann said.
“Being able to see those little steps forward all the time, it’s always satisfying.”
Although the Fireballs missed out on the individual trophy, they savored their fifth team victory in club history—each win coming on a different continent, no less.
They also remain the only team with at least one title in all four LIV Golf seasons. Captain Sergio Garcia and David Puig both closed with 5-under 67s, while Ancer and newcomer Luis Masaveu contributed rounds of 71.
“Bittersweet with Abe, the way he played,” Garcia said. “He was there the whole day, and it would have been nice to get the double. But super proud of the way they all fought.”
Masaveu, a 22-year-old relishing his first champagne-soaked celebration in front of the Aussie faithful, was eager to learn the Fireballs’ post-victory routine.
“I asked what I needed to do because it was the first time,” he said. “But I think I did it all right.”
Garcia simply grinned. “Quick learner.”
LIV Golf Adelaide may be in the rearview now, but the spectacle of Niemann’s Sunday charge and the Fireballs’ team triumph will likely linger in the minds of fans worldwide.
And given these early-season fireworks, the next chapter of LIV Golf promises to be just as gripping.
