Joaquin Niemann catches attention with 'amazing' Bryson DeChambeau comments
Chilean out to learn from his LIV colleague as he looks to transfer his form into major success with US open win at Oakmont
Excited Joaquin Niemann is looking to learn from the intensity of "amazing player" Bryson DeChambeau as he works to finally crack the Major code.
The Chilean star remains an intriguing puzzle to golf fans ahead of the 125th US Open at Oakmont next week as he fights to translate his LIV brilliance to the four biggest events in the game.
Despite soaring clear in the individual LIV rankings ahead of the likes of DeChambeau and Jon Rahm, Niemann has taken time to flip his magic to the Majors. Before last month's PGA Championship, the 26-year-old had been unable to secure a Top 20 in one of the big-four events in 23 attempts.
However, Niemann clearly showed he's moving in the right direction with a tied-eighth at Quail Hollow and, once he finishes with this weekend's LIV event in Virginia, will look to improve upon that again through the brutal test in Pennsylvania.
DeChambeau has found it easy to translate with LIV work to the Majors and heads to Oakmont as the defending champion after winning 12 months ago at Pinehurst in thrilling fashion from Rory McIlroy.
Niemann is watching his LIV colleague closely and with admiration as he said: 'Bryson's an amazing player. He's proved that since his amateur career. He's always been pretty talented and he's a guy that works really hard as well. He'll be the last one on the range.
'I feel like what I can learn from Bryson is his intensity of getting better. You can see how he's always trying to figure out new stuff, how he can put that into his game. I feel like he's somebody that changes and tries new things every time, there's nothing wrong with that. You can learn a lot of stuff from new experiences.
'He's way different than me, way different than anybody. The way he approaches the game is completely different. He's really unique and his way works for him. It's nice to be around him. It's nice to be around good competitive guys.
'I'm playing with him this week so it's going to be a good challenge for me. I know how bad he wants to catch me on the rankings. I'm trying to run away in a way. For me it's exciting to have that pressure from him, knowing how good of a player he is. It gets me excited to keep working hard and play better.'
Niemann knows that, despite his LIV work, he is being judged by many fans and pundits outside of LIV on his performances in the Majors in terms of his status in the game.
He believes he's finding the formula and said: 'For me, being on LIV, I feel like it's helping me a lot to better perform in Majors. I feel more fresh. Obviously there's a few weeks that we travel a little farther away, but I've been pretty smart and conscious of my recovery, how I'm trying to prepare and feel more fresh for a Major week.
'The schedule how it is, it feels like the guys on the PGA Tour probably play, like you see Scottie [Scheffler], he played the PGA, the week before the PGA, two weeks after that. Obviously he's playing unbelievable. But he's played a lot of golf. I feel like I had two weeks off, I'm playing an hour away from next week, which is pretty nice.
'I think I have learned most of the courses that we play on Majors are hard. There's not many crazy low scores.
"My game is kind of in a way pretty aggressive and, whenever I'm out of position, I want to make the best out of it and I will take risks and try to take advantage of a tough situation and play my odds.
'But I learned to you've got to keep those high numbers away and be probably a little bit more conservative. At the end of the day in Majors, you don't win it on the first day or the second day.
"I feel like all I have to do is keep my patience up there in Majors because you don't win with low scores, and knowing that it's kind of hard, but you've just got to play the game. I know I've just got to put myself in a position where I have a chance on the back nine and I know I can do the best out of that.'
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