EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. -- Chile's Joaqun Niemann drove two balls out of bounds on the par-4 sixth, his 15th hole of the round, on Thursday shortly before first-round play at the U.S. Open was suspended because of darkness at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club.It would get only worse for the LIV Golf League captain once play resumed Friday morning.Niemann ended up carding a quintuple-bogey 9 on the hole, but it was later changed to a 7-over 11 after the United States Golf Association docked him a two-stroke penalty for throwing a club on the hole.The 27-year-old Niemann ended up posting an 8-over 78 in the first round. He was already back on the course playing the second round when the penalty was announced.Niemann threw his club after his approach -- his sixth shot on the hole -- came up short of the green.The USGA said Niemann's act was determined to be "serious misconduct" under Rule 1.2b of the Rules of Golf, which dictates that "players are expected to play in the spirit of the game by acting with integrity, showing consideration to others and taking good care of the course."The rule allows tournament committees to "establish and enforce specific standards of player behavior on the course, utilizing penalties ranging from a single stroke to total disqualification depending on the severity of the misconduct."Niemann, who is ranked 80th in the Official World Golf Ranking, is the first golfer to be disciplined under the code-of-conduct policy in a major this season.In April, Sergio Garca was issued a code-of-conduct warning, a first at the Masters, when he broke his driver on a cooler during an outburst on the second hole of the final round at Augusta National.
