Jon Rahm throws club at Open Championship, avoids penalty

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Jon Rahm's fiery temper put golf's new conduct policy in the spotlight again at the 2026 Open Championship.

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Rahm reportedly received a warning from tournament rules officials for slamming his six-iron to the turf following a poor tee shot on the 15th hole at Royal Birkdale near the end of the Friday, July 17 second round. He walked away in disgust as his ball sailed well left of the green and the club bounced several times on the ground across the tee box. The incident immediately raised questions about whether Rahm could face discipline, including a two-stroke penalty, based on an enhanced rule implemented this year.

According to the rule, "if a player’s (or their caddie’s) behavior is so far removed from what is expected in the spirit of the game of golf, in accordance with Rule 1.2b, the Chief Referee, in consultation with the Championship Director, may apply a penalty of two strokes or disqualification, taking account of the frequency, impact, intent and severity of the misconduct."

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On-course reporter and former PGA Tour pro Smylie Kaufman said on the USA Sports broadcast that a rules official then approached Rahm when his group arrived at the 17th green to notify him that "he had an official code of conduct warning for actions with the club throw on the 15th hole."

An R&A rules official previously noted on the Open Championship broadcast that the tournament has the ability to give Rahm a warning, issue a two-shot penalty or disqualify him from the event if his conduct is deemed to have been in violation of the policy. The rules official did not comment specifically on Rahm's situation during Friday's round, or if there would be a review related to Rahm.

Sergio Garcia received a warning from Augusta National officials at the 2026 Masters as part of the new policy at the majors. Joaquin Niemann, meanwhile, was given a 2-stroke penalty at the U.S. Open last month after a club throw following back-to-back errant tee shots.

Rahm was unable to recover on No. 15 and ended up with a bogey, but responded well with back-to-back birdies to move to 4-under par for the tournament by the end of Round 2. If the Spaniard winds up winning his first Claret Jug this weekend, don't forget the lucky break he caught after his temper got the best of him.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jon Rahm throws club at Open Championship, avoids penalty

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