Joaquin Niemann’s poor performance at the US Open leads to a significant penalty for misconduct.

U.S. Open Player Meltdowns: Joaquín Niemann’s Tough Day

Player breakdowns are a common sight at the U.S. Open, particularly at the notorious Shinnecock Hills. In 2018, Phil Mickelson made headlines with his infamous meltdown, famously playing hockey with his ball on the 13th green—frustrated by the slippery conditions. He ended up receiving penalties for his actions, tallying a score of 10 on that hole.

Fast forward to early Thursday evening at the current U.S. Open, where Joaquín Niemann, a 27-year-old rising star from Chile competing for LIV Golf, found himself in his own meltdown on the sixth hole. This incident pretty much dashed his hopes of claiming a major title for the first time.

Niemann struggled on the par-4 sixth, hitting two errant tee shots. By the time play was halted on Friday morning, he had recorded a nightmarish five-bogey 9 on that hole.

Things took a turn for the worse when the USGA handed him a two-stroke penalty for tossing his club, labeling it as “gross misconduct” under Rule 1.2b. This penalty increased his score for that hole to 11, resulting in an overall 78 for the first round, leaving him a daunting 14 shots behind the first-round leader Windham Clark. Remarkably, he started off at even par before reaching number six.

Breakdown of the Meltdown:

His first drive veered out of bounds, across the road.

After teeing up again, his second shot went just as wide.

On his third attempt, he landed the ball in thick grass encroaching into the fairway.

From there, his next shot left him with a tricky 113-yard lie.

By the time play was paused at 8:25 p.m. due to darkness, Niemann had recorded six strokes and was grappling with frustration. Play resumed the following morning at 6:35 a.m., with his seventh shot missing the green entirely.

He eventually reached the green with his eighth shot and managed to sink a putt, believing he had completed the hole. Yet, the collapse had dramatically affected his score, dropping him from even par to an alarming eight over, resulting in him tumbling down the leaderboard from a tie for 17th.

Niemann has largely dominated LIV Golf for the past two years, boasting eight individual tournament titles and earning the title of the most successful player on that circuit. He leads the Torque GC team and was voted the 2025 LIV Golf MVP after a five-win season.

However, his track record in major tournaments hasn’t matched his LIV success. In 2024, his best result at three majors netted him a tie for 22nd at the Masters. Last year, he tied for eighth at the PGA Championship, marking a high point but missed qualifying for both the U.S. Open and British Open.

This year, he finished tied for 18th at the PGA and failed to qualify for the Masters. Now, at the U.S. Open, thanks to a disastrous six-hole stretch, Niemann faces a monumental challenge to even make it past the second round.