LIV Golf Leaderboard: Niemann Leads New York 2026 at -14

Summary

✓Reviewed by Laura Bennett JERSEY CITY, N.J. — August 9, 2026 — Joaquin Niemann of Torque GC holds a commanding two-shot lead at the LIV Golf New York tournament, sitting at 14-under-par entering Saturday's final round after carding rounds of...

7 min read

Table of contents

1 How the Leaderboard Stands Heading Into Round 4
2 Niemann’s Brilliant Start Sets the Tone
3 Harold Varner III’s Round-Three Surge Creates Drama
4 Team Competition: Torque GC Pursuing Double Title
5 Context: Niemann’s 2026 LIV Season
6 What to Watch in the Final Round
7 Related Coverage
8 Sources

Reviewed by Laura Bennett

JERSEY CITY, N.J. — August 9, 2026 — Joaquin Niemann of Torque GC holds a commanding two-shot lead at the LIV Golf New York tournament, sitting at 14-under-par entering Saturday’s final round after carding rounds of 64-65-70 over the first three days of competition at Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point.

Harold Varner III of OKGC sits in second place at -12 after a blistering third-round 65, while England’s Lee Westwood (Majesticks Golf Club) occupies third at -10. The final round began on the morning of August 9, with tee times running from approximately 7:00 a.m. ET, according to the official LIV Golf schedule.

How the Leaderboard Stands Heading Into Round 4

Niemann’s total of 199 strokes through 54 holes puts him in clear command of the individual title race. Per ESPN’s live leaderboard, the top 10 entering the final round are as follows:

Pos	Player	Team	R1	R2	R3	Total
1	Joaquín Niemann	Torque GC	64	65	70	-14
2	Harold Varner III	OKGC	69	67	65	-12
3	Lee Westwood	Majesticks GC	69	65	69	-10
4	Tom McKibbin	Legion XIII	70	66	70	-7
5	Sergio García	Fireballs GC	70	65	72	-6
T6	Byeong Hun An	—	72	68	68	-5
T6	Thomas Pieters	4Aces GC	68	70	70	-5
T6	Richard Bland	Cleeks GC	73	64	71	-5
9	Scott Vincent	HyFlyers GC	69	68	72	-4
T10	Young-han Song	—	72	70	68	-3

Source: ESPN LIV Golf New York Leaderboard, August 9, 2026.

Niemann’s Brilliant Start Sets the Tone

The Chilean star arrived at LIV Golf New York as one of the circuit’s most consistent performers in 2026, and he backed that reputation immediately. His opening round of 64 — seven under par — gave Torque GC a commanding early position in both the individual and team standings. Fox Sports, in its round one recap published August 7, noted that Niemann shared the top of the leaderboard at -7 with Lucas Herbert (Ripper GC) and Ian Poulter (Majesticks) at -5 after an opening day that saw conditions largely favorable for scoring at the New York layout.

In round two on August 8, Niemann extended his advantage to -13 with a 65, while Herbert and Westwood both posted strong rounds to remain within striking distance. Fox Sports described Niemann and Torque GC as being “in cruise control” in its round two recap, with the team leading the team competition as well as the individual standings. Westwood climbed to second at -8 through 36 holes, while Sergio García moved to -7 in a performance that briefly put the Spaniard into contention for a potential weekend charge.

Niemann’s third round of 70 — level par — slightly narrowed his advantage by allowing Harold Varner III to make a significant move. Varner posted the best round three score among the top contenders with a 65, vaulting from fifth place at -6 all the way to second at -12. That swing trimmed Niemann’s lead from five shots to two heading into Saturday’s finale.

Golfer lining up putt at LIV Golf New York 2026 tournament

Harold Varner III’s Round-Three Surge Creates Drama

The most compelling subplot entering the final round centers on Harold Varner III’s ability to produce another sub-65 performance. The OKGC representative’s third-round 65 was the lowest round posted on Saturday, and it moved him from a tie for fifth into outright second place. Varner has been one of LIV Golf’s more consistent performers on the New York course over multiple seasons, and a final-round 65 or better would put enormous pressure on Niemann to respond.

Lee Westwood, at -10, occupies third but would need a near-perfect round plus significant slippage from both Niemann and Varner to claim the title. The 53-year-old Englishman’s continued competitiveness at the elite level of LIV Golf remains one of the circuit’s notable stories of the 2026 season. Tom McKibbin of Legion XIII sits fourth at -7 and Sergio García of Fireballs GC is fifth at -6, leaving five players with mathematical chances of winning if conditions allow for low scoring on Sunday.

Team Competition: Torque GC Pursuing Double Title

LIV Golf’s simultaneous individual and team competition format means Torque GC has the opportunity to secure both the individual and team titles at New York. Fox Sports reported after round two that Torque GC led the team standings, with Niemann serving as the linchpin of that effort. A team victory would represent a significant points haul for Torque in the 2026 season-long team standings and could shift the competitive balance heading into the final stretch of the LIV Golf season.

The prize pool for LIV Golf New York in 2026 is substantial, per Golf Magic’s tournament preview. The individual winner is set to collect a top-tier payout, while team prizes are distributed across the competition. For context, Jon Rahm has led the 2026 LIV Golf individual earnings standings with approximately $18.7 million in prize money for the season, according to Golf Magic’s standings tracker — a figure Niemann could significantly close with a New York victory.

Context: Niemann’s 2026 LIV Season

Entering LIV Golf New York, Niemann ranked eighth in the 2026 LIV Golf individual season points standings with 82 points, according to Fox Sports’ rankings. Jon Rahm of Legion XIII led the standings at 229.90 points, with Bryson DeChambeau second at 179.97 points. A tournament victory at New York would dramatically boost Niemann’s season-long position and underline Torque GC’s claim as one of the circuit’s top teams.

Niemann has won multiple LIV Golf events since leaving the PGA Tour to join the breakaway circuit, establishing himself as one of its marquee South American talents. His opening-round 64 at Ferry Point demonstrated the kind of risk-reward shotmaking that has made him effective on LIV courses, and his ability to post 65 in round two confirmed his comfort with the New York layout’s demands.

What to Watch in the Final Round

With the final round underway on August 9, 2026, the key variables shaping the outcome include:

Niemann’s consistency under pressure: A two-shot lead is comfortable but not commanding on a course where low rounds are achievable. His level-par 70 in round three showed some vulnerability after back-to-back rounds in the mid-60s.
Varner’s momentum: Harold Varner III enters Sunday having posted the best individual round of any contender on Saturday. If he carries that form into the final 18 holes, he has the game to apply sustained pressure.
Westwood’s experience: The veteran Englishman has won at the highest levels of professional golf across multiple decades. At -10, he is mathematically alive, and a fast start on August 9 could make for a three-way battle down the stretch.
Course conditions: Trump Golf Links at Ferry Point plays along the East River with exposure to wind — a factor that can dramatically shift the difficulty of the layout and reward course management over pure aggression.
Team standings implications: With Torque GC leading the team competition, each shot by Niemann and his Torque teammates carries double significance.

For broader context on how this event fits into the 2026 golf landscape and U.S. sports calendar, see our coverage of the 2026 NFL Hall of Fame Game and Washington Mystics’ sixth straight WNBA win, two of the other major U.S. sports developments this week. Golf fans tracking the broader competition landscape may also find our Monaco Grand Prix 2026 Results coverage useful for understanding the global elite sports circuit Niemann and his LIV peers operate alongside.