Joaquin Niemann was handed a two-stroke penalty for hurling a club on the sixth hole during the first round of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. The LIV Golf star, making his seventh U.S. Open appearance, carded an 11 with the two-stroke penalty on the par-four sixth hole at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York. He sent two balls out of bounds to the right, and eventually signed for an eight-over-par 78 during the opening round, which had been held up earlier due to fog.
The incident was deemed “serious misconduct” under Rule 1.2b, which grants the committee authority to establish its own code of conduct and impose penalties for any breach. The controversy comes as Scottie Scheffler’s caddie was embroiled in his own drama after shouting at U.S. Open marshals during a pivotal moment in the first round. Rule 1.2a further sets out the expected standards of player behaviour, stipulating that players must compete in the spirit of the game by acting with integrity, showing consideration for others, and respecting the course.
It also outlines the committee’s power to disqualify any player for conduct deemed contrary to the spirit of the game. Niemann had been ranked amongst the top three in the 2025 LIV Golf individual standings. Prior to joining LIV, he secured his second PGA Tour win by edging out Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young by two strokes at the 2022 Genesis Invitational at The Riviera Country Club.
Niemann has become the first golfer to be penalised for breaching the new code of conduct policy introduced for the 2026 major tournaments. The code of conduct policy has already proved a contentious topic this year, with Sergio Garcia and Robert MacIntyre both receiving warnings at the Masters tournament following minor outbursts.
“If a player does something egregious, then, unfortunately, we would give a warning to that player,” Kerry Haigh, the PGA of America’s chief championships officer, explained. “And if they were to do it again, there would be a two-shot penalty. We’ve been working closely with the organizers of the other Majors and the tours more broadly,” R&A CEO Mark Darbon said earlier this year. I would expect to see a similar policy introduced this summer.”
Niemann has yet to secure a major title, with his best performance at a U.S. Open coming at Winged Foot Golf Club in 2020, where he finished T-23.
“It’s just part of the process,” said Niemann just ahead of the 2026 competition, referring to the U.S. Open tournament. “I think we’re here right now just focusing on the process that I’m doing. I’m committing to my shots and feel – getting a good feel of the course, of the wind, what are the challenges for this week, and then we go from there and then the next week, and go forward like that.”
Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy was vindicated about Long Island fans following his U.S. Open treatment.