GOLF.com: Niemann Hit with Two-Stroke Penalty for Club-Throwing at U.S. Open Amid Historic Hole Collapse

At the 2026 U.S. Open, Joaquin Niemann's Round 1 turned catastrophic at the par-4 6th hole of Shinnecock Hills, culminating in a two-stroke penalty for a club-throwing incident deemed "serious misconduct" by the USGA.

A Collapse That Spanned Two Days

Niemann had steadied himself through the early holes, carding two birdies to offset two bogeys before reaching the 6th on Thursday evening. What followed was a slow-motion disaster. Two consecutive tee shots went out of bounds, a fifth shot found a native area, and play was suspended due to darkness with Niemann sitting at 6 in the fairway. When he returned Friday morning at 6:35 a.m. ET, he failed to reach the green on his seventh attempt and ultimately holed out for a quintuple-bogey 9.

Rule 1.2b and the Penalty

By 8:30 a.m. ET, the USGA had issued a press release announcing an additional two-stroke penalty for a club-throwing incident during Niemann's 6th-hole ordeal. The act was classified under Rule 1.2b, which allows tournaments to establish a Code of Conduct and impose penalties up to and including disqualification for "serious misconduct."

Niemann's score on the hole was adjusted from 9 to 11, pushing his opening-round total from 76 to 78. Whether the incident occurred Thursday night or Friday morning has not been confirmed.

Strokeslab Perspective

The eight-time LIV Golf winner entered Shinnecock with a legitimate case for his first major title. That window closed in the span of a single hole. Beyond the penalty itself, the episode raises questions about on-course emotional management — a factor that Strokes Gained frameworks don't capture, but that clearly influences outcomes at the highest level.