Seems like throwing clubs around isn't acceptable at The Open anymore. Throw a club, and you could be staring at a two-shot penalty, just like Joaquín Niemann. Sergio Garcia's club-smashing outburst at the Masters, however, ended with only a warning. See the contrast? Some people certainly do. And so, with the R&A confirming the policy will be in effect at The Open this week, the debate has returned.
On a recent episode of the Golf Channel podcast , Rex Hoggard called out the R&A for a lack of clarity on what could trigger disciplinary action.
"What is not so clear, folks, because this is ironic. What is not so clear is what those violations actually are and what sort of crosses the line and becomes egregious, which would either trigger a warning, trigger a two-shot penalty, or even, in some severe cases, they can escalate it immediately to a disqualification."
Hoggard's co-host, Ryan Lavner, pointed out the discrepancy in disciplinary action in two very similar cases. During the U.S. Open, Joaquín Niemann received a two-shot penalty. The USGA had described Niemann's actions as "serious misconduct" after he threw his sand wedge in frustration. However, there was no video evidence of this happening, with officials instead relying on eyewitness accounts of the incident, which Niemann disputed.
The incident made Niemann the first player to receive a two-shot penalty under the majors' newly adopted player code of conduct, which was introduced this season after golf's governing bodies agreed to hold players to a higher standard of on-course behavior.
This same adherence to the new code of conduct was absent in Sergio Garcia 's case. Cameras caught him smashing his club in frustration during the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament at Augusta National.But unlike in Niemann's case, the officials issued Garcia an official warning instead of a two-shot penalty. The vast discrepancy in how officials implemented the new rules prompted Hoggard to give the R&A a reality check about the new player code of conduct.
"There's no way that it's going to be applied evenly. There's no way that it's going to be applied to all 156 players in the field… the superstars vs. some of the unknowns. It's just not going to be applied evenly. In addition to a lack of clarity and vagueness of what actually constitutes 'egregious conduct.' It's all a little bit too messy.
"I think it's well-intentioned. I think their heart is certainly in the right place in wanting to set good examples. I understand the leadership position the R&A is in. However, I think the way they're trying to go about it without clear guidelines… I think that's where they're losing me here."
According to the R&A, players or their caddies whose conduct is significantly at odds with the spirit of the game, as outlined in Rule 1.2b, could face disciplinary action. Depending on the frequency, intent, severity, and actual or potential impact of the misconduct, the Chief Referee, in consultation with the Chief Championships Officer, may issue an official warning, impose a two-stroke penalty, or disqualify the player.
The R&A also clarified that officials are not required to issue a warning before handing out a two-stroke penalty or disqualification. The stricter approach comes after several high-profile outbursts over the past year, including Wyndham Clark damaging a locker after missing the cut at the 2025 U.S. Open and Rory McIlroy's visible frustration during the same championship. Apart from the players, the R&A has also rolled out a spectator code of conduct, warning that abusive behavior toward players, officials, staff, volunteers or fellow fans could result in removal from the course.
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