“Who can judge Niemann’s decision? Most in his place would probably do the same. But it’s definitely a very sad thing for the sport.”
Everything has a price, they say in the market. And Niemann’s price was $100 million. Because that figure is that he agreed to quit his professional golf career and enter the LIV league, which so far has only been known for handing out millionaire prizes.
It is a blow for golf and sports enthusiasts who saw in Joaquín Niemann the hope of becoming the best player in the world. His numbers so far are remarkable. At just 23, he is the youngest on the PGA Tour standings, where he sits 19th, has won two tournaments on the tour and racked up nearly $15 million in prize money. For this reason, for most golf analysts, Niemann was one of the key players for years to come.
Until yesterday, when his manager announced that the golfer would continue to play at LIV, a circuit financed by Saudi Arabia. Despite the rumours, the surprise was great. Even the efforts of Tiger Woods, who last weekend made an emergency trip to Delaware to speak with the undecided, including Niemann, had no effect.
Reviews were expected. International commentators fail to understand that the Chilean opted for a league which is a kind of exhibition circuit, where there is no jitters while playing and the incentives are parties and trips to exotic locations. And by the way, give up everything you dreamed of; winning the most classic tournaments, the Majors, the US Open, donning the green jacket of the Masters. This even leaves the possibility of competing in the Olympic Games in jeopardy.
But of course there is the 100 million US dollars. And everything has a price, they say on the market.
Who can judge Niemann’s decision? Probably most in your place would do the same. But, without a doubt, it is a very sad thing for the sport. Because from today, the Chilean somehow ceases to be a top athlete to become a businessman. The one who calculated that even if he was already rich in the PGA and would be even richer, nothing would reach the offer made by the Saudis. It was a simple profitability calculation.
We might have expected the middle way: waiting. Stay on the PGA, keep becoming one of the best, win the Masters and be a legend. Because at the end of the day, if a 23-year-old with $15 million in their pocket can’t afford to dream big, then who?
Niemann may have thought otherwise. That it was all very difficult, laborious and risky. And he chose to pay now. He alone knows. It’s your decision. It’s your right. But one thing is clear: it was going to be great. Maybe a legend. Now he will be rich.
Source: Latercera
I’m Todderic Kirkman, a journalist and author for athletistic. I specialize in covering all news related to sports, ranging from basketball to football and everything in between. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, I have become an invaluable asset to my team. My ambition is to bring the most up-to-date information on sports topics around the world.
