For Niemann, it's 71 solid holes, one thrown club and maybe a return trip for next year's US Open
Joaquin Niemann hits from the rough on the third hole during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Credit: AP/George Walker IV
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — The U.S. Open summary for Joaquin Niemann looks like this: 71 holes of solid golf, one really bad one, a thrown club, a two-shot penalty and the willpower to not spend too much time wondering about what might have been.
“If my grandmother had tires, she'd be a car,” Niemann said Sunday, after wrapping up a tournament sullied by an opening-round 11 on the par-4 sixth hole that featured two tee shots out of bounds and two penalty strokes for hurling his club in frustration.
Niemann shot 4-under 66 in the final round to finish at 1-over 281. It doesn't take heavy math to imagine the possibilities had he not shot 7-over par on one hole. More urgently, when he left the course, his 281 put him in a tie for seventh, which would earn him the invitation for next year that goes to the the top-10 finishers and ties.
His 66 paired with a 65 he shot in the second round, shortly after learning his 9 on No. 6 had been bumped up two shots for violating the code of conduct. It meant Niemann was a good bet to tie for the two best rounds of the tournament along with recording the single worst one-hole score of the four rounds.
“A good experience, a good test for myself," he said. "What happened on Thursday and coming back, I was pretty proud of” myself.
Niemann didn't try to deflect blame or suggest he didn't deserve the two-shot penalty for chucking the club after the two errant tee shots, then being rejected when he asked for relief from what he thought might be fire ants.
Play was called for the day shortly after that. Niemann completed his first round Friday morning, then learned about the penalty.
Joaquin Niemann gestures,on the third hole during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y., Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Credit: AP/George Walker IV
“I was not trying to offend anyone,” he said. “I was frustrated. I had my expectations, which are always super high. I was playing good golf. I knew it was going to be a tough week, a long week, a challenging week. ... I’m not happy doing that. I’m not proud about throwing a golf club.”
He did not want to delve into the debate about whether the USGA was too aggressive in docking him the two shots. Even though the course was virtually empty at the time, he did, in fact, throw the club.
He called his comeback story “something to learn from.”
Asked if there were lessons to be learned from his odyssey around Shinnecock Hills, he said: “Everyone just stop throwing clubs. Just behave.”
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