Returning Australian Open champion Joaquin Niemann has lashed out at guidelines which stop each he and Aussie Cameron Smith from taking part in within the upcoming Presidents Cup.
The Chilean star additionally mentioned that the Australian Open deserved to be handled like one of many largest tournaments in world golf, as he confirmed that he’ll return to defend his title that he received in Sydney final 12 months.
Each Niemann and South African Ashley Buhai, who received the ladies’s crown for the second 12 months in a row, will play within the 2024 event at Kingston Heath and Victoria Golf golf equipment from November 28 to December 1.
A litany of Australian stars together with Smith, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Jason Day, Cam Davis, Marc Leishman, Minjee Lee, Hannah Inexperienced and Steph Kyriacou are additionally anticipated to play within the mixed occasion.
As a LIV golf participant although, Niemann is blocked from being a part of the Internationals staff that may tackle the People within the Presidents Cup on the finish of the month at Royal Montreal in Canada.
Whereas LIV golfers can play within the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup is run by the PGA Tour which nonetheless blocks their involvement.
Niemann and Smith may have been close to sure choices by Internationals captain Mike Weir however have been locked out for the second Presidents Cup in a row.
“It sucks. I’d like to be on that staff. It is presupposed to be the very best golfers around the globe and so they’re not doing that proper now,” Niemann mentioned.
“I do imagine we (the Internationals) have a powerful staff, however it could possibly be a good stronger staff. I would like to see the People lose,” he added.
There can be three Australians on the staff in Scott – for a outstanding eleventh time, Day and Lee who will make his Presidents Cup debut.
Together with the likes Hideki Masuyama, Tom Kim and Sungjae Im there’s sufficient expertise within the staff to push the star-studded People, who’ve received the final 9 editions of the occasion and solely misplaced it as soon as – approach again in 1998 at Royal Melbourne.
And will probably be the spectacular Melbourne Sandbelt that may current the prospect for Niemann to be the primary participant to defend an Australian Open title since Peter Lonard 20 years in the past.
Each Joaquin Niemann and Cameron Smith is not going to be allowed to partake within the upcoming Presidents Cup. (Getty Pictures: David Cannon)
Amid the fracturing on the skilled degree of golf and the deadlock over merger talks between the PGA Tour and Saudi fund that backs the LIV tour, the calls have grown louder for a world tour program to be in place sooner or later.
And for the Australian Open to be a key a part of that. It is a sentiment, Niemann shares strongly.
“I really feel like an excellent golf event has to have an incredible golf course and Australia is all the time the chief in that and an incredible crowd and so they’re all the time the chief in that as properly,” the South American mentioned.
“Clearly you’ll be able to’t say it is a main, however in the event you go searching, I imply you bought the US Open, you then’ve obtained the British Open, I do not assume there’s some other Open in some other nation that come near it (The Australian Open).
“And I feel it is due to how highly effective golf is in Australia, you’ve this superb program. I keep in mind being a junior golfer and all the time seeing Australia as being the toughest staff to beat,” he added.
Within the ladies’s occasion, Buhai can be attempting to make historical past in Melbourne as the primary participant to win the ladies’s trophy for a 3rd successive 12 months.
The South African says her affinity with Australia and its golf programs began a very long time in the past.
“I have been going there since I used to be 12 years outdated so there is a familiarity. South Africans and Australians we’ve got loads in frequent with sport, meals, climate,” she mentioned.
“And the golf programs are unbelievable, particularly on the Sandbelt. I feel it fits my recreation, you need to be inventive, you need to flight the ball and be sensible.”
