Ahead of the 2025 U.S. Open, a pretty confident Joaquin Niemann said, “For me, being on LIV, I feel like it’s helping me a lot to better perform in Majors. I feel more fresh.” He eventually went on to miss the cut at Oakmont and then at the next men’s major, The Open Championship, as well. But the frustration of shooting mediocre scores (70-74) at Royal Portrush for his sixth The Open appearance certainly affected him, enough that he fired both his caddie and coach. Or so was believed.

Despite Niemann’s high-profile split with both his caddie and coach, a source close to him explains the reason behind the split was something entirely different. X account, HANDICAP 54, referenced an old article from Telegraph Sports’s James Corrigan that stated in a LIV Golf article, “The latter [Niemann] has stunned the game by splitting with coach Eduardo Miquel and caddie Gary Stephens in the wake of last week’s missed cut at The Open, despite the Chilean having won more than £13m in 2025 to top the LIV standings with events to go in the individual race for the near £15m bonus,” and explained the actual reason. 

In its statement, HANDICAP 54 explained that during a conversation with Miquel, the latter confirmed that “he himself distanced himself from Joaquín Niemann for personal reasons of Edoardo’s own [as I published], in the week of LIV Golf Valderrama: 1 week before The Open. Therefore, Joaco’s change of caddie HAS NOTHING TO DO with Edoardo Miquel’s resignation as Joaco’s coach and Edo Miquel’s resignation is not a consequence of the cut that Joaquín missed at the @theopen .”

Eduardo Miquel and Joaquin Niemann have worked together since Niemann turned pro in 2018, while Gary Matthews ended their five-year partnership following The Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Following the split, Niemann teamed up with Diego Salinas, a friend and fellow pro who plays on the Chilean Golf Tour. As for Miquel’s replacement, Niemann hasn’t revealed the new coach’s identity yet, though a new figure accompanied him at the 2025 LIV Golf UK.

Despite the explanation, the recent Joaquin Niemann team shift is likely to draw more conversations in the coming times, given its timing. After all, it came right after the Chilean pro’s second missed cut in the majors, following a solid LIV Golf 2025 resume (4 wins). Speaking of his missed cut at The Open, did you know the golfer has finally addressed the issue at hand despite his ongoing run at the 2025 LIV Golf UK?

Joaquin Niemann ominously confessed, “We’re back at it” following The Open

The leaderboard at LIV Golf UK’s JCB Golf and Country Club has seen a familiar contender tee off in style, as Joaquin Niemann surged to the top with a stellar six-under 65 on Friday. The Chilean star, gunning for his fifth LIV Golf win of the season, found himself tied for the lead with 2025 LIV Golf Riyadh champion Adrian Meronk and Stinger GC’s Branden Grace, with two rounds still to play.

Niemann’s round got off to a blistering start as he birdied the first two holes he played, having begun his front-nine charge on the second hole due to the shotgun start format. He continued to fire on all cylinders, notching four more birdies throughout the round to card a bogey-free score. Niemann’s only letdown came on the final hole, where he narrowly missed sinking a clutch birdie putt, potentially boosting his score even further.

Yet, following the stunning round, he addressed the media and gloomily accepted The Open fate, saying, “But it’s part of it, and it was tough, and then I was able to focus and kind of reset myself into the last three, four tournaments of the season, which I think is really important. We are back at it.” This Royal Portrush event served as Niemann’s sixth The Open appearance and third missed cut following his The Open outings in 2023 and 2019. Yet, let’s hope he gets his rhythm back in the following months.