Joaquin Niemann ‘not proud’ of serious misconduct, believes penalty excessive
Golf Channel • • sports
Key Points:
- Joaquin Niemann was penalized two strokes for "serious misconduct" after hitting multiple tee balls out of bounds and into a native area during the U.S. Open, resulting in an adjusted quintuple-bogey-11 on the sixth hole.
- Niemann expressed regret over his behavior, which included kicking a flag and throwing his club in frustration, but insisted he was not angry and acknowledged the penalty despite feeling it was harsh.
- With support from his team, Niemann composed himself and followed up with a strong second-round 65, improving his standing to 3 over for the championship.
- Niemann's instructor Pete Cowen criticized the USGA's penalty as arbitrary and inconsistent, noting other players also threw clubs without similar penalties and highlighting the lack of video evidence or an appeal process.
- The USGA justified the penalty under its serious misconduct rule, citing the player's behavior as outside the spirit of the game, while Niemann and his team sought clarification but ultimately accepted the ruling.
