The Open, Final Major of the Year, to Penalize Players for Unruly Behavior

Committee Issues Warnings or Penalties for Unruly Conduct
Garcia and Niemann Face Scrutiny for Actions at Majors
Rahm: "Prefer Warning Before Penalties Are Given"

This year’s final major tournament, The Open, will enforce stricter regulations on players’ unruly behavior.

On July 15 (KST), the tournament organizing committee announced a 'Code of Conduct for Players' and stated that penalties will be imposed on any players who violate it.

According to the code of conduct, if a player (or caddie) acts in a manner that falls substantially short of the level expected according to the spirit of golf, the chief referee may, after consulting with the tournament director, impose a penalty. Depending on the frequency, impact, intent, and severity of the violation, an official warning may be issued, or the player may receive a two-stroke penalty or even be disqualified. The committee specified that it is not mandatory to issue an official warning before applying the two-stroke penalty or disqualification.

Jon Rahm is adjusting his hat at the official press conference for the major tournament The Open. Southport=Reuters Yonhap News

In previous major tournaments, some players have received penalties for throwing or breaking their golf clubs. In the Masters held in April, Sergio Garcia of Spain was given a warning after smashing his driver against the ground and breaking it. Last month at the US Open, Joaquin Niemann of Chile threw his wedge after sending his drive out of bounds twice and was assessed a two-stroke penalty.

Jon Rahm of Spain, a star player in LIV Golf, expressed his discontent in an interview with AP News the same day. While agreeing with the code of conduct established by the tournament organizers, he said, "I would prefer if a warning was given before a penalty is imposed." Rahm also pointed out, "I don’t understand why the code of conduct attracts more attention than slow play. For slow play, officials issue a warning first, then apply a penalty afterwards."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.