SOUTHPORT, England — Jon Rahm was issued an official code of conduct warning after launching his club into the ground following a wayward tee shot Friday at The Open Championship.The Spaniard, who bounced an iron into the tee box on the 15th hole, was informed by an official that he had avoided any further penalty.
Rahm was raging during a frustrating run on the back nine of Friday’s round but regained his composure to finish on 4 under, four shots behind leader Lucas Herbert.
Jon Rahm threw his club in frustration after hitting an errant tee shot on 15 😳 pic.twitter.com/aiPWRGm2I9
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 17, 2026Rahm’s club throw will inevitably draw comparisons with other recent incidents, including when Joaquin Niemann was given a two-shot penalty at the U.S. Open for similar behavior.Niemann’s actions were not caught on camera but were subsequently deemed “serious misconduct.”The R&A had three options to consider when addressing Rahm’s actions: to hand out a two-shot penalty, disqualify him or issue a warning. They chose the latter.
It follows a push to tighten up on player conduct.Earlier in the year, governing bodies of all four majors announced a new policy to hold players to a higher standard of behaviour.Other players have been pulled up in other events since. Sergio Garcia drew a warning at the Masters when he twice slammed his driver into the tee box and then broke the club after smashing it in anger. He later apologised for his behaviour.Niemann became the first player to be penalised when he was given a two-shot penalty for launching a club.The Chilean was fuming after recording a nine on a par-4, but the score was upped to an 11 with the penalty.Speaking ahead of The Open, R&A chief executive Mark Darbon promised a “clear decision-making process” around the player code of conduct.“We’ve obviously rehearsed and talked through a number of scenarios that could play out in that space,” he said.“So I think we’re well set to deal with any issues if they come up on that front.“We believe that we have a responsibility to play a leadership role to ensure that fans watching all around the world see appropriate behaviour from the world’s best players as they participate in our championship, and that’s why we’ve got the code of conduct in place.”Rahm escaped any penalty but will need to be on his best behaviour for the rest of the tournament as he looks to hunt down leader Herbert this weekend.Jul 17, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
