The season’s final individual showdown is here as LIV Golf hits Indianapolis, with the Team Championship just a week away. Every point matters, every mistake counts — and at the top, Joaquin Niemann and Jon Rahm are locked in a season-long duel that’s coming down to the wire.

For Joaquin Niemann, who currently leads the individual standings with 208.43 points to Jon Rahm’s 196.16, the head-to-head battles with Rahm have been more than just a series of matchups—they’ve been a source of growth. Heading into the final event with a slim but significant margin, Niemann offered insight into what it’s been like battling with Rahm week in and week out. “Yeah, it’s been a lot of growing in my game. I feel like playing against Jon – I’ve been playing with him for probably 60, 70 percent of my pairings this year, so yeah, he’s a great competitor. He’s always there. He never gives a shot away. It’s fun to play with someone like that pushes you to be better and to go back home and try to get better and come back here and try to beat him,” Niemann said in a press conference at Chatham Hills.

“I feel like it’s something that we all feed from each other here, so yeah, that’s probably how competition works, right?” Niemann continued, casually but thoughtfully, as he reflected on the dynamic among the entire field at LIV Golf. But over the last two seasons, Niemann and Rahm have been locked in a competitive rhythm, often finding themselves paired together and consistently pushing each other to new heights. The respect between the two was perhaps best summed up when Niemann recalled a thrilling duel earlier this year in Jeddah, where he shot 63 to Rahm’s 62 in a low-scoring battle. “Yeah, it’s always fun when you are playing with someone that is making a lot of birdies, you’re making a lot of birdies. I think you feed from each other,” he continued.

His honest admission of feeding off of each other captured the essence of their rivalry this season. Both have delivered elite performances throughout the season, with Niemann claiming five victories and Rahm securing a trio of close runner-up finishes, including last week in Chicago. It’s not a rivalry built on animosity or trash talk, but on excellence, and the kind of relentless competition that pushes both players to elevate their game week after week. “Obviously, it’s fun to play your best game and be competing against someone who is playing his best game as well. It’s always fun,” Niemann said, as he reflected on the intensity of those moments.

Now, with one final test before the Team Championship takes over, both he and Rahm find themselves at the heart of a season-defining showdown, with everything still to play for.

Joaquin Niemann and Jon Rahm’s performances this season

While Joaquin Niemann expressed deep admiration and the opportunity to be battling it out with Jon Rahm week in and week out, Rahm, too, echoed a similar sentiment. “He’s a fantastic competitor, fantastic golfer, great person as well. It’s a lot of fun to share the stage with him,” Rahm said. While Niemann’s dominant run could have made this battle one-sided, Rahm hasn’t backed down and has equally fired some great performances. While he hasn’t lifted a trophy this season, there have been very few players as consistent as the Spaniard. Sitting in second place with 196.16 points, Rahm has recorded three runner-up finishes, including a dramatic battle in Chicago just last week.

Despite the absence of a win, his performances have been nothing short of elite—steady, powerful, and always within striking distance of Joaquin Niemann. Besides the five wins Niemann has had this year, which have been historical for LIV Golf, he only missed out on scoring in two events, in Riyadh and in Miami, both of which he finished tied 33rd. Niemann has shown a level of consistency and composure that’s made him the player to beat this season. With one event remaining before the Team Championship, a sixth win would all but cement Niemann’s crown and give him massive momentum heading into Michigan. For Rahm, too, this week is a crucial opportunity as he is just 12.27 points behind Niemann, and a strong finish, or a win, could flip the standings and set the tone heading into the team finale.