Joaquin Niemann faced a two-shot penalty during the US Open on Friday, highlighting the tournament's strict enforcement of player conduct rules. The Chilean golfer's incident unfolded on the sixth hole of the fog-delayed opening round, where he threw his club in frustration.

This outburst compounded his troubles, pushing his score on the par-4 sixth hole to an 11. Prior to this, Niemann had lost two tee shots, both veering into deep grass, and stood even par for the tournament. He finished his first round with a score of 78.

The USGA invoked Rule 1.2b, which addresses the "Code of Conduct" and includes penalties for club abuse. This year, the USGA and other major golf organizations have intensified efforts to ensure consistent conduct guidelines across tournaments. Key elements of this policy include:

• A warning for the first offense
• A two-shot penalty for the second
• Disqualification for a third violation

In Niemann's case, no warning was issued due to the severity of his actions. The USGA's guidelines allow for immediate penalties if a player's behavior strays significantly from expected conduct in golf.

Despite no video evidence of the incident, ShotLink data supports that Niemann's initial shots landed far right, leading to his frustrating situation. After joining LIV Golf post-2022 season and recently securing his eighth career victory in South Korea, the golfer now faces scrutiny amid the uncertainties surrounding the rival league's future.