Shades of 2024 as Neimann, Rahm do battle for LIV honours again

Joaquin Neimann (left) and Jon Rahm are already the leading lights of the 2025 season’s battle for top honours, much as they were last year. Image courtesy livgolf.com.

By Rahul Banerji

The echoes of last year are growing louder as the battle for LIV Golf 2025 individual honours sharpens between Joaquin Neimann and Jon Rahm.

As the midway point of the current season nears at LIV Golf Korea this week, Torque GC captain Niemann leads the rankings on 124.66 points with Legion XIII captain Rahm on 94.36 points.

For India star Anirban Lahiri, it has been a below par season. The Crushers GC member opened the year with a share of 12th place at Riyadh and a T7 at Adelaide.

Thereafter he has not had a top 15 finish and is currently in what is called the Open Zone where retention in a current team is not guaranteed, and will be looking to turn thigs around quickly.

At the top though, it increasingly resembles last year’s tussle in which Spain’s Rahm prevailed right at the very end after Neimann had led the way for much of the season.

So Niemann leads Rahm by 30.3 points and has won three of six events played so far including at LIV Golf Mexico City last week. At the same point in 2024, Niemann led Rahm by 31.98 points with two wins.

Two wins and a second place in the last three starts of 2024 saw series debutant Rahm turn the tables on Niemann and win the individual championship in the final tournament in Chicago.

This year, the Chilean superstar looks firm on maintaining his advantage. Having gained entry into the three remaining majors, Neimann can now concentrate on keeping his Spanish rival at bay.

Clear-cut task

“I need to take advantage of the good golf I’m playing right now, to capitalise on it, to rack up points for the individual standings,” Niemann said ahead of LIV Golf Korea.

“There’s still a lot of golf left to play, a lot of work to do. That excites me more and more, seeing how the year started and thinking about how we can finish it now.”

Though Rahm has only one top three finish so far this year, it is his consistency that poses the biggest threat to Neimann. The Spaniard is yet to finish outside the top 10 this year (T2 at Riyadh, 6^th at Adelaide, T6 at Hong Kong, T5 in Singapore, T9 in Miami and 4^th in Mexico).

“While I like having top 10s and I like being a good player week in and week out, winning obviously is what matters more,” Rahm said. “I would gladly give up some of those top 10s for more wins.

Slipping up

“I keep playing well. I keep putting myself close enough. Just every once in a while, there’s been enough mistakes where I’ m just not quite close enough going into the back nine on Sunday.

“If I can just clean that up, I know I’m playing well enough to win.

“It’s very little things that can change a season. Usually, it’s one swing or one hole that can ignite a great run. Hopefully, I can do that and have a great finish to the year like I did last year.”

In contrast, other than his wins at Adelaide, Singapore and Mexico City, Neimann has finished 33^rd twice and tied for 12^th in between, helping Rahm stay in touching distance and is keen to avoid a repeat of 2024 when the current season ends at Indianapolis in August.

“It’s been exciting, the last six events here at LIV, the way I’ve been playing, the way I’ve been feeling on the course,” the 26-year-old said.

“I feel like there’s been a lot of trust and a lot of faith in the work that I’ve been putting in …

“The second half is going to get pretty intense, majors coming in the way as well, and a lot of travel. It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be interesting.”

Between Rahm and Neimann’s consistent string of podiums, there is little to choose from at the moment, though Sergio Garcia (78 points) and Bryson DeChambeau (65.35) could pose a long-term threat.

Also read: Neimann hunts down leaders at LIV Mexico, seals US Open berth