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Niemann Receives Two-Stroke Penalty for Club Throw at U.S. Open
On June 19, 2026, the 27‑year‑old Chilean golfer Joaquin Niemann found himself on the wrong side of the scorecard after a moment of frustration turned into a two‑stroke penalty at the U.S. Open’s Shinnecock Hills. The penalty, imposed for throwing a club, pushed his already challenging sixth‑hole score from a quintuple‑bogey 9 to an 11 and lifted his round to 78, eight over par.
The incident unfolded on the sixth hole, the last one played before the night‑before suspension for darkness. Niemann had already suffered a poor start, sending two tee shots out of bounds and a third into the native area. A volunteer, Tristan Chang, later recounted that Niemann was trying to escape a mound of fire ants when a rules official denied him relief. In a fit of exasperation, Niemann struck his next ball, knocked a spotter’s flag out of the sand, and hurled a club roughly 50 yards toward the edge of the course. A police officer on scene retrieved the club and returned it to Niemann. The golfer later said he “couldn’t resist” throwing the club in frustration, but denied anger and confirmed that no one was near the spot where it landed.
Between rounds, Niemann spent about half an hour re‑centering himself. He practiced on the range, made a couple of putts, and then birdied five of his first six holes. He finished the second round with a 65, earning a Saturday tee time at 3 over.
After the round, Niemann and several teammates, including veteran instructor Pete Cowen, met with Craig Winter, the USGA’s senior director of rules, behind the practice range. They spent roughly ten minutes discussing the incident. The USGA explained that the penalty was applied under Rule 1.2b, which allows a chief referee, in consultation with the championship director, to impose a two‑stroke penalty or disqualification for behavior that is “so far removed from what is expected in the spirit of the game.” The decision was based on a local rule created in 2019 and first implemented this year at major championships.
Cowen disagreed with the ruling, calling it arbitrary. He noted that three other players had thrown clubs the previous day but were not penalized, that no video of Niemann’s throw existed, and that the USGA had no appeal process available. According to a Golf Digest report, the USGA sometimes allows second opinions, but in this case all key decision makers had already made the ruling.
The penalty is the first under the new code of conduct introduced for the 2026 majors. The USGA’s enforcement follows a warning issued to Sergio Garcia at the Masters for slamming a driver into the turf. The incident underscores the association’s intent to uphold the sport’s spirit and to apply consistent penalties for misconduct.
As of now, Niemann has accepted the penalty and will continue to compete in the tournament. The USGA has not announced any further actions, and no appeal has been filed. The decision reinforces the USGA’s commitment to enforcing the new conduct policy at major championships.
The incident unfolded on the sixth hole, the last one played before the night‑before suspension for darkness. Niemann had already suffered a poor start, sending two tee shots out of bounds and a third into the native area. A volunteer, Tristan Chang, later recounted that Niemann was trying to escape a mound of fire ants when a rules official denied him relief. In a fit of exasperation, Niemann struck his next ball, knocked a spotter’s flag out of the sand, and hurled a club roughly 50 yards toward the edge of the course. A police officer on scene retrieved the club and returned it to Niemann. The golfer later said he “couldn’t resist” throwing the club in frustration, but denied anger and confirmed that no one was near the spot where it landed.
Between rounds, Niemann spent about half an hour re‑centering himself. He practiced on the range, made a couple of putts, and then birdied five of his first six holes. He finished the second round with a 65, earning a Saturday tee time at 3 over.
After the round, Niemann and several teammates, including veteran instructor Pete Cowen, met with Craig Winter, the USGA’s senior director of rules, behind the practice range. They spent roughly ten minutes discussing the incident. The USGA explained that the penalty was applied under Rule 1.2b, which allows a chief referee, in consultation with the championship director, to impose a two‑stroke penalty or disqualification for behavior that is “so far removed from what is expected in the spirit of the game.” The decision was based on a local rule created in 2019 and first implemented this year at major championships.
Cowen disagreed with the ruling, calling it arbitrary. He noted that three other players had thrown clubs the previous day but were not penalized, that no video of Niemann’s throw existed, and that the USGA had no appeal process available. According to a Golf Digest report, the USGA sometimes allows second opinions, but in this case all key decision makers had already made the ruling.
The penalty is the first under the new code of conduct introduced for the 2026 majors. The USGA’s enforcement follows a warning issued to Sergio Garcia at the Masters for slamming a driver into the turf. The incident underscores the association’s intent to uphold the sport’s spirit and to apply consistent penalties for misconduct.
As of now, Niemann has accepted the penalty and will continue to compete in the tournament. The USGA has not announced any further actions, and no appeal has been filed. The decision reinforces the USGA’s commitment to enforcing the new conduct policy at major championships.
