Phil Mickelson has always been unafraid to make daring statements. Thus, his most recent one, delivered through a striking response on X/Twitter on Sunday morning, comes as no surprise.
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Nevertheless, even for someone like Lefty, this seems excessive. This perspective naturally depends on how one views LIV Golf and whether three-round events with 54-player fields truly test a golfer’s skills. If you think these formats do suffice as adequate tests, then you may also consider Joaquin Niemann to be unquestionably among the world’s top ten players, following his fifth win at the LIV event in Singapore over the weekend.
Top 10? Higher than Bob, says Phil. Technically, though, lower.
Since LIV Golf tournaments don’t offer World Ranking points, Niemann is presently ranked 81st globally. His most recent counted finish was a tie for third place at the International Series India on the Asian Tour back in February. In December of the previous year, he had secured victory at the PIF Saudi International, another event on the Asian Tour. These performances propelled him from 124th to 68th position. Previously, after achieving a tied-for-thirty-fifth spot at the 2022 Masters, Niemann reached his highest ranking yet—15th worldwide.
When discussing the Masters, Niemann will once more be considered everyone’s “underdog” choice following his two victories on LIV in 2025. At age 26, his best showing at Augusta National was a tie for sixteenth place in 2023, which remains his top performance across 22 major tournaments—a statistic that critics were swift to highlight on Sunday morning.
An excellent tweet from Will, to be fair. To be fair squared, Mickelson came back with a reasonable response. It’s an unfair advantage!
The appeal of sports lies in moments like these: Niemann has the chance to either validate or debunk people’s beliefs when he competes in the Masters this April. He earned another exclusive invite for this event, marking his second time participating consecutively. So, get your snacks prepared.
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