Four years after walking away from the PGA Tour, Joaquin Niemann may finally find a way back. The Chilean has spent that time away establishing himself as one of LIV Golf’s leading players, winning nine times on the circuit and twice this year. But with LIV now entering a period of major uncertainty following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy declaration, Niemann’s future has suddenly become a much bigger question.

For the 27-year-old, the possibility of returning to the PGA Tour is genuinely exciting. He admitted as much in an interview with Chilean outlet La Tercera, saying,

“Obviously, if they can open a door for me somehow, that would be incredible. And if not, it will open eventually.”

The possibility would have seemed unlikely when Niemann left the PGA Tour in August 2022, just six months after winning the Genesis Invitational for his second Tour title.

The financial incentives were clearly high. Niemann has earned nearly $89 million in individual prize money and performance bonuses since joining LIV in late 2022, not including his initial nine-figure signing bonus or separate team tournament earnings.

Niemann has also enjoyed major success on the Saudi-backed circuit, becoming LIV’s winningest individual player. After being named the league’s MVP following five wins in 2025, he added two more titles in 2026, beating Talor Gooch in a playoff at LIV Golf Korea before winning wire-to-wire at LIV Golf New York at Bedminster.

That said, because LIV tournaments do not award traditional Official World Golf Ranking points, Niemann’s world ranking fell from No. 15 in 2022 to No. 139 in 2025. That decline could also be a factor in his desire to return to the PGA Tour.

LIV Golf itself soon ran into trouble after the Saudi PIF pulled its funding, saying the money needed to keep the league running was no longer sustainable. Following the loss of Saudi backing, LIV Golf filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. While British private equity firm BC Partners has stepped in with a conditional $300 million rescue package, the deal would bring a major change to how players are paid.

Why leaving LIV would be a major decision

The 27-year-old gave the interview before winning the Abierto de Chile on October 4. At the time, he had yet to make a decision on his future, though he expected to determine his next move within the next few weeks. Speaking about his options during the interview, Niemann said,

“The truth is, I’m still deciding what to do; whether I want to stay and believe in what’s happening in the league or go play more in Europe and from there try to get on the PGA Tour. So, those are my two options in the end. I’ll have to make a decision in a couple of weeks.”

LIV is asking players to make that call during its most uncertain stretch, because there are incentives for players who choose to stay behind in this difficult stretch. The proposed LIV 2.0 would make players majority equity holders.

Asked whether becoming a LIV shareholder had swayed his thinking, Niemann offered a measured response.

“I think both [sides] have their very positive aspects, being part of a league, being part of the league’s percentage. Knowing that it’s something that I think could take a couple of years, I don’t know if it’s something I want to do at this stage of my career. So, these are questions I have to ask myself before making a decision,” he said.

In his own words, Niemann’s hesitation is more about timing and commitment than any lack of belief in LIV’s future. He did not dismiss LIV 2.0 as a bad idea. Instead, he suggested he is still weighing whether committing to it makes sense at this stage of his career.

Niemann was not hopeful about a quick return. “No, they have their rules, and the truth is there’s nothing that can be done,” he added.

Per Golf Monthly, Niemann will be ineligible to compete on the PGA Tour for the best part of a year after playing in LIV Golf’s last event of 2026 in August. His route back is further complicated by PGA Tour CEO Brian Rolapp’s comments that the Tour is not considering another returning-member programme like the one introduced in January, which applied to players who had won a major championship or The Players Championship between 2022 and 2025.

Niemann’s two PGA Tour victories—the 2019 Greenbrier, where he became the first Chilean to win on Tour, and the 2022 Genesis Invitational—do not meet those criteria. Rolapp has also clarified that any player seeking to return must first be free of their LIV Golf contract obligations, adding another hurdle to Niemann’s potential comeback.

Europe offers no easy escape route either. Golf Monthly reports that Niemann lost his DP World Tour status before this season after failing to meet the minimum event requirement. To regain his status, he would have to come through Q-School or earn his way back by winning an event after receiving a sponsor invitation.

He has still played well there since LIV’s season ended in August, with a tie for second at the Amgen Irish Open and a tie for 21st at the BMW PGA Championship.

Niemann is the Torque GC captain and has nine LIV titles, two of them this year. On Sunday, rounds of 64, 73, 69 and 67 earned him a four-shot win at Club de Golf Las Brisas de Chicureo in Chile. He finished at 15-under, took his 23rd professional title and won his first Chilean Open.

LIV’s proposed rescue deal with BC Partners is itself conditional on player support. Court filings show that by the extended deadline of October 25, at least half of the players with eligible claims must agree to the deal, with those players accounting for at least two-thirds of the total value of player claims.

That uncertainty has already prompted movement among LIV players, with Sergio Garcia filing to terminate his contract. Niemann, meanwhile, has stopped short of committing to LIV 2.0. Speaking to reporters after the BMW PGA Championship, he said he hadn’t decided, leaving his future tied not only to his own plans but also to the direction LIV ultimately takes.

Niemann ended with what sounded like a pointed message to the PGA Tour: “In the end, they’re going to need good players, and competition always demands having the best players together.”

The remark underlines his belief that, regardless of how the current divide between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf plays out, the sport ultimately benefits from having its best players competing on the same stage.