‘Everyone has a price’: Chilean golfers open up to debate over Liv’s millionaire bid tempting Joaquín Niemann

The news that Joaquín Niemann was considering leaving the PGA for the brand new LIV GOLF has had an impact. The exclusivity, launched by La Tercera, demonstrated the economic power that the Saudi super league has and the new type of players it will try to bring to its fields: young people, winners and the media. A definition where the Chilean fits perfectly.

But is it a wise decision? Will this have a negative impact on your career? Will it be worth switching sides? These questions, which are asked by most golf fans at the moment, are today trying to be answered by the great representatives that the country has had in this sport. Felipe Aguilar, Paz Echeverria and Juan Cerda speak with El Deportivo about it.

The first thing they make clear is that this is a completely personal decision. That no one but Niemann can decide for himself and judge his actions. But they also address his feelings and opinions on a change that will undoubtedly change his career and his goals. While everyone agrees on the potential of LIV, they also bring to the table the fact that the new Tour still doesn’t deliver points for the World Ranking, that’s the biggest problem it currently has.

“It’s a super personal decision, which I imagined he was talking about with his whole team and with his lawyers to see the repercussions of leaving or not leaving. I think you should leave when you feel comfortable leaving. I am convinced that each person has a price, except Tiger who we have already realized that with 700 million he said no begins by recounting Felipe Aguilar, a national golfer who has won two tournaments on the European Tour.

The winner also of the 2002 Chile Open is precise in announcing that the most traditional circuit on the planet will also experience moments of change due to the explosion of the LIV. “They’re going to use a lot of unconventional tools as long as players don’t leave the PGA Tour. Let’s not be surprised that at some point they’re going to start paying them or sponsoring them to not leave” analyze.

A struggle not to lose sight of what Paz Echeverría understands. “I think the PGA’s stance at the start was too blunt, I think they never took on the weight of what this tour could be and looked at it a little less. You also have to understand that the PGA defends its interests, because that’s what it sells, being the most important circuit in the world, with the best players. This is what guarantees them to have the best auspices “says the golfer who was the second Chilean to enter the LPGA Tour.

That’s why for Echeverría the most important thing will be to see if the LIV manages to deliver points for the world ranking. Without it, he couldn’t catch up on the North American tour and could therefore be a problem for the Talagan man. “Everything will depend on the position taken by the organizers of the majors. If they are going to allow these players to play and what about the world ranking. Because if this is the case and they are not prohibited from playing the US Open or the Masters, some will stay at the PGA and others at the LIV and nothing will happen. They will compete as the third major circuit with the European circuit. But basically the decision to leave or not to leave is extremely personal, I could never judge him for having made such and such a decision. “, he comments.

Although he launches a clear sentence at the end:I think Joaquín still has a lot of game to think about a tournament without a cup and without points for the world ranking ”.

This last sentence largely reflects the thinking of PGA Latin America player Juan Cerda. “Obviously, millions are tempting, but I believe there is a group of golfers who are still very young and what they are looking for more than millions is to achieve feats or good results, to be able to position their name at the top. I think Joaco is on this quest, to be able to win major tournaments or a FedEx Cup. I don’t consider any of these options to be good, bad, or wrong. Everyone should be able to decide what suits them best. “, to analyse.

Finally, Aguilar makes an interesting reflection on the situation of the two tours and their possible future. “In the short term they will do all the litigation possible so that the PGA maintains its hegemony, but in the long term they will learn to live together. As more and more players emigrate, the PGA will begin to question many things. Also, as the pockets of Arabs continue to grow, players will find that the PGA is exploiting them commercially. They use their names, their numbers and they pay them nothing. They only give them money if they win “, he concludes.