Joaquin Niemann Penalized for 'Serious Misconduct' After Wild 11 at U.S. Open

Joaquin Niemann's opening round at the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills took a disastrous turn on the par-4 sixth hole. The 27-year-old, who joined LIV Golf in August 2022, was assessed a rare two-stroke penalty for "serious misconduct" after throwing his club. The infraction ultimately led to a septuple-bogey 11 on the hole, completely derailing his tournament.

Before reaching the sixth—which was his 15th hole of the day—Niemann was putting together a solid, even-par round. However, his composure shattered on the tee box. He hit two consecutive drives out of bounds before finally putting his fifth shot into the thick fescue. He managed to advance his sixth shot only 112 yards, landing short of the green. Frustrated by the sequence of events, Niemann took his anger out on his club, throwing it in an incident that was later deemed a violation of the Player Code of Conduct.

Overnight Delay and USGA Penalty

The drama was prolonged by the elements. Play was suspended due to darkness on Thursday evening before Niemann could complete the hole. When he returned to the course on Friday morning to finish, the USGA officially assessed the two-stroke penalty under Rule 1.2b. The rule dictates that "players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by acting with integrity, showing consideration to others and taking good care of the course."

While club throwing is not uncommon in professional golf, the USGA's decision to invoke Rule 1.2b highlights a renewed emphasis on player conduct at major championships. The penalty was reflected on Niemann's official Shot Tracker as consecutive penalty strokes assessed on his sixth shot, which is when the throw occurred.

The penalty adjusted what would have been a quintuple-bogey 9 into an 11. Niemann went on to sign for an 8-over-par 78, leaving him near the bottom of the leaderboard and facing an uphill battle just to make the weekend cut. Reflecting his diminished prospects, Niemann's odds to win the tournament have plummeted to +225000 (DraftKings).