'Being On LIV, I Feel Like It's Helping Me A Lot To Better Perform In Majors' - Joaquin Niemann Responds To Criticis Ahead Of US Open

Although some have questioned whether playing on LIV Golf would leave players undercooked at the Majors, Joaquin Niemann insists the lighter schedule is helping him improve his form in golf's four biggest events.

An elite ball striker, Niemann has underperformed in the Majors given his obvious talent, but earned his first ever top 10 at last month's PGA Championship in what was his 24th Major appearance.

With three LIV Golf wins under his belt this year alone, Niemann is obviously in tremendous form, and he insists he's starting to figure things out in the Majors now too.

Much has been made about if a lighter schedule on LIV could result in players not being battle hardened enough for the Majors - but ahead of the US Open at Oakmont, Niemann says it's very much working for him.

"For me, being on LIV, I feel like it's helping me a lot to better perform in Majors," said Niemann. "I feel more fresh.

"Obviously there's a few weeks that we travel a little farther away, but I've been pretty smart and conscious of my recovery, how I'm trying to prepare and feel more fresh for a Major week."

Niemann points to this week's LIV Golf Virginia event as a prime example, with Robert Trent Jones Golf Club being set up similar to Oakmont and being pretty close to next week's US Open venue offering a perfect tune up.

"I mean, looking at this week, it's pretty cool how we set it up," Niemann added.

"The schedule how it is, it feels like the guys on the PGA Tour probably play - like you see Scottie, he played the PGA, the week before the PGA, two weeks after that. Obviously he's playing unbelievable. But he's played a lot of golf.

"I feel like I had two weeks off, I'm playing an hour away from next week, which is pretty nice."

Niemann hasn't been to Oakmont yet, but knows "it's going to be a really tough week" at the US Open.

Getting his first Major top 10 at Quail Hollow despite not playing his best gives him plenty of confidence though, and having broken through that barrier the Chilean feels he may have finally found the right formula for the big ones.

"I think I have learned most of the courses that we play on Majors are hard," said Niemann. "There's not many birdies going on. There's not many crazy low scores.

"Yeah, my game is kind of in a way pretty aggressive, and whenever I'm out of position I want to make the best out of it, and I will take risks and try to take advantage of a tough situation and play my odds.

"But I learned to you've got to keep those high numbers away and be probably a little bit more conservative. At the end of the day in Majors, you don't win it on the first day or the second day.

"I feel like all I have to do is keep my patience up there in Majors because you don't win with low scores, and knowing that it's kind of hard, but you've just got to play the game.

"I know I've just got to put myself in a position where I have a chance on the back nine, and I know I can do the best out of that."