THE MODERATOR: Joaquín, congratulations, LIV Golf Korea 2026 individual champion. How does it feel to get the first win of the year?
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yep, it feels great. It took a while. I feel like it was nice to be in this situation. I was in the last group in Singapore on Sunday, and looking back to that day, I felt like I was just wanting it so bad to win. I just wanted to win.
I feel like sometimes it just takes you out of the focus. To be able to stay on my mind, stay on my lane this week, and being able to make it happen the way it happened, playing with Gooch and Bryson, they were having a good chart, so it was a beautiful day. I really enjoyed it, and super happy.
Q. Nobody has won more individual titles out here than you, eight. Does it ever get -- do you ever get used to it, or every one is just special, I assume?
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I feel like the last one is the best. I feel like it's going to be always like that. So yeah, just keeps getting better and better.
The feeling is great, and I'm just happy. I feel like -- I don't know, like making it so easy last year, I feel like I just look back to 2025, and it was so easy to win. It just happened.
Then I just said it just happened, I feel like that's the way it should be, and I feel like I was forcing everything a little bit too much. Just let things happen and just stick to my stuff, stick to my routine and just be part of the show.
It was fun out there. I really enjoy the feeling of winning again. I love this game. Looking back at today's round, especially the back nine, I have a big passion for this game. I'm a big fan of this game of golf. It teaches you every time how can you improve.
You're always learning. You're always -- you might be in trouble one hole, then the next hole you're going to hit a heroic shot and make eagle or birdies, and then the next hole it could be something new or different.
I feel like that challenge of not knowing what could happen and you just give your 100 percent commitment to everything and just let things happen is just the best feeling ever. I'm just thankful for this game, for LIV, for everything, for the people around me, my wife, my family. They give support to me in what I do, and I just freaking love this game, and I'm always going to try to do the best that I can to get better and accomplish more things, win more tournaments, grow the game, give back to my country that also gave me everything.
I started playing golf in Chile, and all my friends there back home, it's just so much fun playing and growing -- growing up playing this game, it was so much fun. One day I'm going to have kids, and I know that I will wish that they can enjoy the game as I do because it's a wonderful game.
Q. Can you take us through the day? Obviously you got off to a hot start through the first eight holes --
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Well, not that hot. I felt like I struggled the first few holes. But yeah, it was a good day. I felt like the start did help me a little bit to kind of take the pressure off. I felt like struggling a little bit, making five-footers for par, seven-footers for par on No. 2, as well, missing the green on No. 3 to kind of stay there, don't let Gooch run away with that birdie on 1.
So yeah, I felt like that did help me a little bit for my confidence, saving those pars and getting ready for the action. I made a good birdie on 4, and then I had a great stretch on No. 6, 7 and 8, also 9. I felt like I hit a great shot and a great tee shot.
It was a good day, having Gooch also playing great golf. He's a great player. We were just laughing because we played a member-guest back in Mexico in Nauka, and he was just talking about how he beat us, but he had a partner that had a really high handicap, so I'd say it was his partner, not him.
But great guy. We enjoyed the day today. He played great, as well.
I also enjoyed the company with Scott Vincent the last two days. I feel like he's developed as a player big time. The way you see him practicing, he's always the first one in the gym. He's always the first one on the range, on the putting green. He'll be there until the end of the day.
I feel like people like that, it's always good to be around with. Yeah, I want to also congratulate Scott for his week and the way he's playing. I feel he's been really consistent since he came back from LIV. He played in 2024 and then back to the Asian Tour and back to LIV, and he's ready for action now. He's a great player, great guy, so it was nice to be around him, as well.
Q. I did want to ask you about the back nine, if there were any pivotal points. 13 you talked about saving par. That could have looked like a two-shot swing and you still walked out of there with the lead.
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: Yeah, I feel like every hole was pretty important on the back nine. The par save on 13 was great. Not a good iron shot. I felt like I was -- since No. 9, I didn't feel like I was swinging it that well, especially with the irons. I felt like I was being a little bit too quick on my takeaway, and consequently just being too quick overall instead of a little bit more in rhythm.
Yeah, 13 wasn't a good swing. Great up-and-down to stay there.
Then 14, hit a beautiful tee shot. The three of us had a big chance for birdie on that hole, and I had a great opportunity after Gooch didn't make his putt. I feel like it was a pretty easy -- not easy putt, but pretty straight, uphill, and I didn't quite hit it as hard, didn't get it there.
I needed to hit a good tee shot on 15, and I did. Probably the best driver I hit all week. Had a great number to the front of the green, which I was hoping to land it three, five on and then just get a little release. Hit it a little bit heavy. Not my best swing and then not the best chip, also, but ended up making par.
Having Gooch saving a good par there, also, to save the momentum. He made a great putt on 16 for birdie, which I thought was -- I thought 16 was going to be my hole because I hit a great tee shot. I had a really good opportunity for birdie, and Gooch was pretty far away, and he made a great putt, ended up making birdie, and I missed mine.
I feel like every hole was kind of like a match play. Also knew Bryson could have done something. Then I saw the leaderboard on 15, and he was already on 17, and he was already done with 11-under. So I knew it was just me and Talor on 18.
Every hole was like a match play, so every hole counts, every shot.
Q. I wanted to ask you specifically about the match play second shot. It looked like perfection. Under that pressure, how do you play like that?
JOAQUÍN NIEMANN: I mean, I would love to describe exactly how it feels to be in that situation, but for me, it's one of the best feelings ever. We practice every day. We wake up and try to get better, try to get the wedge game better, driving, putting. When we get to that moment on a playoff, we know we can deliver and trust what we practice, trust what we're feeling and just commit to the shot.
It's probably the best feeling. I love having that pressure, knowing that you've got to hit the shot and you win the tournament. I feel like that's what I always dreamed when I was a kid, hitting that last shot and making that last putt.
It's an unbelievable feeling, and it goes away so quick, as well, that I just feel like having the same opportunity next week would be awesome.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports