LIV Golf star Joaquin Niemann was assessed a two-stroke penalty during the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills after officials ruled his club-throwing incident as 'serious misconduct.'
Incident on the Sixth Hole
Niemann hurled his club on the sixth hole during the opening round, leading to the penalty. He carded an 11 on the par-four sixth after sending two balls out of bounds to the right, ultimately signing for an eight-over-par 78 in a first round delayed by fog.
Rule Application
The incident was ruled under rule 1.2b, which grants the committee authority to establish its own code of conduct and impose penalties for breaches. Rule 1.2a outlines expected standards, requiring players to act with integrity, show respect, and care for the course. The committee can disqualify players for conduct contrary to the spirit of the game.
Niemann qualified for the tournament based on his top-three finish in the 2025 LIV Golf individual standings. Before joining LIV, he won the 2022 Genesis Invitational by two strokes over Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young.
First Penalty Under New Code of Conduct
Niemann became the first golfer penalized under the new code of conduct policy introduced across 2026 major tournaments. The policy had already sparked discussion after Sergio Garcia and Robert MacIntyre received warnings at the Masters for minor outbursts.
Kerry Haigh, the PGA of America's chief championships officer, explained, 'If a player does something egregious, then, unfortunately, we would give a warning to that player. And if they were to do it again, there would be a two-shot penalty.' R&A CEO Mark Darbon added, 'We've been working closely with the organizers of the other Majors and the tours more broadly. I would expect to see a similar policy introduced this summer.'
Niemann's Major Record
Niemann has yet to win a major title; his best U.S. Open finish came at Winged Foot in 2020, where he tied for 23rd. Ahead of the 2026 competition, he said, 'It's just part of the process. I'm committing to my shots and getting a good feel of the course, the wind, and the challenges for this week.'
