Joaquin Niemann's golf coach slams U.S. Open penalty: "It's two shots if you don't like him"

Joaquin Niemann's golf coach has criticised the decision to hand the Chilean a two-shot penalty in the first round at the U.S. Open. 

Niemann, 27, became the first golfer penalised for breaking a new code of conduct introduced for major championships in 2026.

The LIV Golf man threw his sand wedge in frustration some 50 yards en route to making a septuple-bogey nine on the sixth hole. 

He had hit two tee shots out of bounds and "couldn't resist to throw it away" after his frustrations boiled over.

Niemann's behaviour was adjudged to be "serious misconduct" under Rule 1.2b and his score was change from a nine to an 11. 

His coach, the legendary Peter Cowen whose student roster includes Brooks Koepka, Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy, Louis Oosthuizen, Danny Willett, Gary Woodland, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke, took issue with the penalty. 

Speaking Brentley Romine of Golf Channel, Cowen appeared to suggest there were double standards being applied.

"It's arbitrary because they picked him out of a load of people who threw clubs yesterday and give him a two-shot penalty," Cowen said. 

"It depends on whether you like him or you don't like him; it's two shots if you don't like him, or it's not two shots because he's a decent guy or he hasn't thrown it as far or whatever. 

"So, you can't do that. It's either got to be two shots for throwing a club for everybody or not."

Cowen was likely referring to the fact Niemann joined LIV Golf from the PGA Tour in 2022. 

Niemann has won eight individual titles in the LIV Golf League and racked up north of $75m in winnings.

He is yet to post a top 10 finish in a major championship. 

Niemann qualified for the U.S. Open after the USGA extended an olive branch to the breakaway tour an awarded a spot in the major to the leading LIV player not otherwise exempt inside the top three of their standings. 

Despite making an 11 in round one, Niemann bounced back superbly in round two, following his 78 in round one with a five-under 65 to make the cut. 

For his part, Niemann said he is "not proud" of what transpired and ultimately agreed with the decision by the tournament committee. 

"I finished my round, signed my scorecard, and then a referee came up to me and said 'I need to talk to you'," Niemann said.

"I knew I had a misbehaviour but I feel like everybody had some and it's never going to be anything major like a two-shot penalty, you know?

"They considered with the whole committee that it was a right decision to give me a two-shot penalty.

"I was trying to argue back but it's their decision and I feel like I wouldn't be happy seeing players throwing clubs and behaving that way so, yeah, I agree."

Niemann's moment of madness transpired late in the day. 

He said his body was feeling a little bit stiff and the two tee shots that didn't stay in bounds came out of nowhere. 

Amusingly, his club was reportedly returned by a police officer. 

Compounding his frustrations, he had asked for relief because he saw fire ants near his ball. 

"I hit it two times out of bounds then got pretty frustrated," he added.

"I had a bad lie, I saw a lot of ants and I was just asking the referee if they were fire ants and he said 'no'.

"I wasn't angry asking him. I think they blew the horn (to suspend play for darkness) but after I hit that shot all the frustration came inside me and I had my club in my hand and I couldn't resist to throw it away. There was no-one there but I'm not proud of it."

Keep checking GolfMagic for the latest updates from the 2026 U.S. Open.