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Joaquin Niemann Hit With Two-Stroke Penalty at U.S. Open

6/19/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Joaquin Niemann became the golfer penalized under the United States Golf Association (USGA) policy at a major.
He received a two-stroke penalty after throwing his club on the sixth hole of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, following out-of-bounds tee shots and a fifth-shot that left his ball in grass.
USGA officials classified it serious misconduct under Rule 1.2b and imposed the penalty, a rule that warned Sergio García at Masters.

History

Historical Context

In April 2019, the 83rd Masters saw Sergio García’s moving-ball incident spark debate over the tournament’s penalty process. The USGA later applied its serious-misconduct provision at the 2024 U.S. Open, showing a continued ongoing push for stricter official rule enforcement. These episodes illustrate the governing body’s increasing focus on precise rule compliance.

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Story summary

Joaquin Niemann became the golfer penalized under the United States Golf Association (USGA) policy at a major.
He received a two-stroke penalty after throwing his club on the sixth hole of the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, following out-of-bounds tee shots and a fifth-shot that left his ball in grass.
USGA officials classified it serious misconduct under Rule 1.2b and imposed the penalty, a rule that warned Sergio García at Masters.

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