Smylie Kaufman thinks LIV golfer could be brilliant at the Olympics because the course suits him

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Smylie Kaufman believes that one LIV Golf star may have a real chance of winning an Olympic medal at Le Golf National, with the course potentially suiting him.

Of course, the Olympic Games has additional significance given that it is one of the only occasions, outside of the majors, when PGA Tour players compete against those who have jumped to LIV Golf over the last few years.

• READ MORE: Every LIV player playing in the Olympics this week

Obviously, many will be intrigued to see how Jon Rahm performs at Le Golf National, particularly after what proved to be a promising performance at The Open as well as his first individual win on LIV at JCB.

But he is not the only player looking to take a gold medal back to the breakaway tour.

LIV Golf star tipped to do well at Olympic Games

The player Rahm is chasing in the individual LIV standings for the season is Joaquin Niemann, with the Chilean winning two of the first three events at the start of the year. He has only finished outside the top 10 on two occasions this season. Rahm himself, has labelled Niemann ‘incredible’.

Niemann was not able to take that form into the majors. But speaking on The Smylie Show, Kaufman suggested that the 25-year-old has a real chance at sealing a medal.

“When you talk about if it’s a course fit, I think it is. His whole thing is can he putt it? For me, he’s an elite ball striker, probably doesn’t hit it quite as high and have as many shots as I think a Scottie Scheffler or Rory or Xander, but he’s a very, very good ball striker, hits the middle of the face a lot, but maybe, just maybe, because it’s not a major, maybe we see the Joaquin Niemann we see on LIV: a guy that absolutely tears it up,” he said.

An important event for LIV

It would be a really big statement for LIV if one of their players could bring back a medal. Many would have seen the scenes at Nashville after Bryson DeChambeau won the US Open at Pinehurst, and you would imagine that they would do something similar if someone like Rahm or Niemann could win a gold medal.

LIV, rightly or wrongly, are still fighting to prove that their product boasts the credibility which then allows their top players to compete with the best on the PGA Tour. Some believe Rahm dented his chances of winning more majors by joining LIV.

• READ MORE: Every player’s round one and two tee times at the Olympics

Niemann’s underwhelming performance in the three majors he played this year probably did not help given that he has such a strong lead on LIV right now, but an Olympic medal for the youngster would certainly make amends.