Joaquin Niemann is headed to Royal Birkdale with a fresh reminder of how quickly golf’s new conduct rules can bite.
After getting hit with a two-stroke penalty ahead of Friday’s second round at the 2026 U.S. Open for what happened the night before, Niemann now faces the British Open under the sport’s tightened behavior standards.
He is set to tee off Thursday at 7:25 a.m. ET with Sepp Straka and Kurt Kitayama.
The crackdown didn’t come out of nowhere. Earlier this year, the four majors and other golf governing bodies put together a new code of conduct meant to raise the bar for behavior on the course.
That move followed a messy previous season that included Wyndham Clark destroying a locker after missing the U.S. Open cut and Rory McIlroy tossing a club and mashing a tee marker in the same tournament.
The policy has already been used in two of the three majors this year. At the Masters, Sergio Garcia was given an official conduct warning after breaking his club on a water cooler, while Robert MacIntyre flipped off a green at Augusta.
Then late Thursday at the U.S. Open, Niemann kicked a marker flag and tossed his sand wedge at least 50 yards, according to an eye witness at Shinnecock.
At the British Open, the R&A is making clear that the same standards apply. Its conduct policy says: “If a player’s (or their caddie’s) behavior is so far removed from what is expected in the spirit of the game of golf, in accordance with Rule 1.2b, the Chief Referee, in consultation with the Chief Championships Officer, may issue an official warning or apply a penalty of two strokes or disqualification, taking account of the frequency, impact or potential impact, intent and severity of the misconduct. An official warning does not need to be given prior to applying a penalty of two strokes or disqualification.”
That means a player can be docked two strokes at Royal Birkdale without first getting a warning, just as Niemann was.
Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner who has not yet won the Claret Jug, told The Associated Press he supports the policy but is uneasy about the lack of a warning.
“I think it’s good. I get it,” Rahm said of the policy.
“They have a code of conduct and they enforce it. Why not?
It’s not going to change how I play. To go from zero to a penalty?
I don’t know. ... Sergio received a warning.
I think [Niemann] maybe deserved a warning-I don’t know what he did.”
The stricter approach extends beyond the players. Fans at the British Open will also be under a detailed code of conduct after the U.S.
Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club turned ugly less than a month ago, with spectators booing and jeering Wyndham Clark during his final-round march to a one-shot victory. Some fans were removed after shouting things like, “Don’t choke, Wyndham!”
and celebrating his mistakes.
“Man, they definitely didn’t want me to win,” Clark said after his final round.
The R&A says it won’t tolerate that kind of scene in England. Its spectator policy says fans must respect the players, links, and each other, and enjoy the event responsibly.
“All fans should help to create a welcoming, inclusive and respectful environment,” the conduct guide reads. “The R&A has a zero-tolerance policy to any form of threatening behavior directed at players, officials, staff, volunteers or spectators-including but not limited to; foul language, sexual harassment, or any discriminatory abuse on the grounds of gender, age, race, disability, sexuality, or religion.”
The rules also bar fans from “call out to players inappropriately,” and instead tell them to “celebrate great play in a fair and sporting manner.” Anyone who ignores the policy can be removed from the course grounds without refund.
In other words, the message from the R&A is simple: keep the clubs in your hands and the boos out of your throat.
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