Golf’s code-of-conduct policy has now come into play for a second consecutive men’s major.
The latest incident involved Jon Rahm, during his second round of the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on Friday.
Three under for the tournament and playing the par-3 15th hole, Rahm missed the green well left and tomahawked his iron onto the tee box, the club bouncing hard off the firm turf. Rahm chipped on and made bogey.
“It was just a bad shot,” Rahm said. “Actually on the tee, it was beautiful, left-to-right wind, perfect distance for a 6-iron for me, aim at the left bunker and just make a driving range swing that I’ve made hundreds of thousands of times, and it was just such a bad miss.”
On-course reporter Smylie Kaufman later said Rahm was approached on the 17th tee box by a rules official and told he was receiving an official code-of-conduct warning for the club throw on 15. No penalty was issued, although one could have been.
“I wasn’t thinking about [a potential warning],” Rahm said. “If I try to alter who I am too much, it might cost me a little bit on the course. But certainly shouldn’t have moments like the one on 15; I get it.”
The Code of Conduct policy is still relatively new in professional golf. The sport’s governing bodies collaborated to create the policy to create a standard of decorum. Kerry Haigh, the chief championship officer of the PGA of America, said back in May that it essentially ensures everyone is “behaving appropriately” and “professionally.”
It’s a three-step process. If the code is violated, players receive a warning. Anything after that, is a two-stroke penalty, and if another incident happens during the same tournament, it’s a disqualification.
At the Masters, Sergio Garcia received a warning for damaging a tee box. The most controversial incident came at last month’s U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills and so far has been the only one to result in a penalty. In that instance, Joaquin Niemann was issued a two-shot penalty on Friday morning for an indictment that involved a club throw on Thursday night. No video of this incident has circulated, but the USGA deemed it egregious enough to bypass the warning and issue a penalty.
The good news about Rahm’s warning? He birdied the next two holes after the club toss on 15, and he ended his round with a par on the tough, par-4 closing hole. Rahm shot 67, and at four under, he’s four back of the 36-hole lead held by Lucas Herbert.
