Joaquin Niemann’s opening round at the US Open went from bad to worse after his 18 holes.
After making a nine on the sixth hole, Niemann thought he’d shot a 76 for his opening round. But afterwards, the USGA gave him a two-shot penalty for throwing his club on that hole.
This was a controversial decision, because players have escaped punishment for throwing clubs in the past. The most obvious example is Rory McIlroy, who threw his club at last year’s US Open and didn’t receive a penalty.
It was hard to discern exactly why Niemann got a penalty for this because there is no footage of the throw available. But an eye-witness has since revealed exactly what Niemann did, and the reason he was punished has become clear.
Why Joaquin Niemann received a two-stroke penalty for his club throw
According to someone who saw the Niemann incident, he did a little more than just throw the club. That was just a part of a major meltdown that deserved some real consequences.
Gabby Herzig, a reporter for The Athletic, spoke to the observer before posting the following to X: “Just talked to a volunteer, Tristan Chang, who witnessed Joaquin Niemann’s club throw that cost him a two-shot penalty:
“-After hitting two balls OB, Niemann tried to get free relief from fire ants (to no avail) from where his third drive ended up in the fescue
“-Got visibly angry and kicked the white flag that another volunteer used to mark his ball
“-Continued to kick around the sand
“-Proceeded to chuck his iron from the fescue area approximately 50 yards to the very edge of the course on the right
“-Almost did not walk back for the club until a police officer delivered it to him
“‘Pretty impressive throw,’ Chang said.”
The penalty wasn’t only for the club throw, but for the general attitude, which was unbecoming of a player of his calibre.
At last year’s US Open, McIlroy only threw his club, but Niemann is clearly being punished for his entire strop.
