Joaquin Niemann wants to join Rory McIlroy at Australian Open in December

LIV star and 2023 Australian Open champ Joaquin Niemann has declared his intent to join Rory McIlroy and play at Royal Melbourne in December.

Chilean gun Niemann has won a staggering five times from LIV’s 11 events in 2025 and could seal the season-long individual title in Chicago this week.

His winning run would arguably have him in the world’s top 10 if LIV players were given world ranking points.

Amid a renewed request from LIV officials to get points, Niemann said he hoped those in charge of the world rankings, including former Masters champion Trevor Immelman, would do the “right thing”.

He said he tried not to think about where he would sit in the world pecking order and what it could mean for majors qualification, given there were no rankings points on offer just yet.

“It’s not something that I think about to tell myself in the mirror, Joaco, you are No.5 …- no, I don’t do that,” he said.

“That’s not my job. I feel like I’m just here to do my best and try to make as many birdies as possible and to make the crowd enjoy us playing golf around the world.

“I feel like the ranking system is not up to me, it’s up to them. I’m expecting that they’re going to do the right thing for golf.”

Niemann has played in the past two Australian Opens, winning in 2023, using the event, as well as the Australian PGA, to get crucial ranking points.

His recent Open and PGA experiences, as well as playing in the LIV event in Adelaide, have made Australia a favourite destination and he’s keen to join McIlroy, who will be the headline act when the Open returns to Royal Melbourne.

“We’ll see what’s going to happen with everything else, but I would love to go back to Australia,” he said.

“(Royal Melbourne) is one of my favourite golf courses that I’ve played. Also, I think Australian golf has probably the best courses in the world, and I feel like more than just the tournament, it’s just I really enjoy going there and playing golf in Australia in front of those people. It’s a lot of fun.”

Australian Open officials hope both the lure of ranking points, and spots in the 2026 British Open for a top three-finish in the event, as well as the Australian PGA, lure a raft of other stars to join McIlroy, Adam Scott, Cam Smith and now likely Niemann in the field.