Kazuma Kobori earns Open Championship start


Kazuma Kobori – file image courtesy of Australian Golf Media 

Final qualifying for the 2026 Open Championship was completed across England overnight, where nearly 80 golfers at each of the four venues were competing over 36 holes for five spots at Royal Birkdale on July 16th.

Many Australasians were in the respective fields, but only New Zealander, Kazuma Kobori, was successful when finishing runner-up at his venue at West Lancs Golf Club near Liverpool.

Kobori followed up an opening round of 70 with a stunning afternoon effort of 65 to finish one shot behind the leading qualifier Sam Bairstow at his venue.

Kobori will play the Open Championship for the second occasion, having missed the cut at Royal Troon in 2024.

At other venues, players such as Marc Leishman and Cameron Davis missed out, the closest of those not making it was Austin Bautista, who finished 2 shots from qualifying at Royal Cinque Ports.

There remains one last chance for qualifying on the Monday of Open Championship week, where up to 12 players will play off for one spot, but it appears no Australasian will be eligible for that field.

Kobori, however, will join Jason Day, Ryan Fox, Lucas Herbert, Daniel Hillier, Cameron John, Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Cam Smith, Elvis Smylie and Travis Smyth, who were already qualified for the final major of the year.

SCORES

/by

Queensland’s Justice Bosio runner-up in Czech Republic


Justice Bosio – file image Australian Golf Media 

Queensland’s Justice Bosio has stormed home in the Ladies European Tour’s Tipsport Czech Ladies Open in Beroun in the Czech Republic, her final round of 64 securing a place in the playoff against the eventual winner, Noora Koumalein and Lisa Petterson of Sweden.

All three golfers returned to the par five 18th, and after laying up, it would be Koumalein who pitched close and holed for birdie to claim her first Ladies European Tour title after 14 years trying.

For Bosio, from the Sunshine Coast, the finish represents the best of her rookie season, and her €26,000 cheque won’t hurt either. The finish follows an impressive 5th place in the Netherlands last week. Bosio will jump to 22nd in the Ladies European Tour standings, Kelsey Bennett currently the best of the Australians in 3rd position.

Leaderboard

/by

Karis Davidson earns career biggest cheque at KPMG Women’s PGA Championship


Karis Davidson – another fine week on the LPGA Tour – image Darren Carroll PGA of America

Karis Davidson has finished in a share of 12th place at the KPMG PGA Championship in Chaska, Minnesota, her final round of 1 over 73, not quite what she was after, but for the 27-year-old Queenslander, the finish represented her best finish in a major championship.

Davidson was on track for a top ten or even better finish when she reached the 14th hole, but a wild drive there would eventually lead to a double bogey, costing her a significant amount of money given the huge purse on offer. She bounced back, however, with a birdie at the 15th and then parred in for her impressive result.

Davidson will still, however, secure a cheque for US$210,000, by some margin (US$60,000), her biggest of her career, and this finish, along with a very solid 22nd place at the US Women’s Open a month ago, highlights the progress she has made in 2026, having made all eleven cuts this season.

The winner was Korean Haeran Ryu, who won her first major but her fourth LPGA Tour victory with a two-shot win over fellow Korean Ina Yoon, with Canadian Brooke Henderson and Dewi Webber of the Netherlands sharing 3rd place.

Davidson led the Australasians in the field, but Lydia Ko stormed home after just making the cut on Friday to finish in a share of 15th after beginning the week with a round of 76 on Thursday.

Sydney’s Grace Kim was 24th and Queenslander, Robyn Choi, 48th.

Leaderboard

/by

Karis Davidson stays in touch despite round two hiccups


Karis Davidson lining up a  putt at her final hole today – image Scott Taetsch PGA of America

Karis Davidson continues to show the way as far as the Australasian contingent is concerned at the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Chaska, Minnesota, a second round of 2 over par 74, not the round she was looking for on day two, but at 5 under, she is still very well placed as the third major of the year for women’s golf heads into the weekend.

Davidson played in the first group out on day two and began in the worst possible way when she double bogeyed her opening hole after missing the green, then three-putting, but the 27-year-old fought her way back to even par through 15 holes before another double bogey at the 16th after finding the water from the tee was a cruel blow, given she was close to the lead at that point.

When she walked from the course after her round, she was still within striking distance of the lead, but as the day progressed, the overnight leader, Ina Yoon of Korea, who began her round more than six hours after Davidson, was about to put her stamp on the event.

Yoon added a second round of 69 to her opening 63 to be at 12 under and five shots clear of the field.

“Yeah, today felt — I felt a little bit under pressure today actually,” said a candid Davidson. “I’ve never been in contention in a major after the first round, so it was a little bit of a different experience for me.

“I hit two bad shots that cost me two doubles today, but really grinded in the middle and made a couple of birdies. Still seems like I’m in contention, so I think it was good to get that pressure out of the way today, and then I can hopefully have a couple good rounds on the weekend.

“The start definitely brought me back down to earth. Because yesterday felt really smooth, and then obviously starting with a double, I was like, “Ah, crap.” Then, it just felt like a grind after that. I felt like it was really tough this morning with the dew on the grass. It was playing longer.

“So, yeah, I just kind of had to really focus after that double start, definitely.”

Ina Yoon – in action during round two – image Darren Carroll, PGA of America

23-year-old Yoon, who is in her second season on the LPGA Tour, has yet to win in the US, but after her record-breaking opening round of 63 (the best in the history of the event), she quickly built on her lead with an outward nine of 32 to move seven shots clear of the field at that point.

Yoon was unable to build on that lead, but at the end of Friday’s play, she is five shots clear of Brooke Henderson, Hae Ran Ryu, A Lim Kim and Nasa Hataoka.

“This is actually my first time being lead going into the weekend,” said Yoon. “It’s actually a really nice experience for me. I’m so excited to play two more days, yeah.

“Sometimes players have to focus on their play, but when they really want to win, then they get nervous.

“So that’s happened to me as well. So last two — like two more days I try to focus on my stuff and just have fun with my caddie, Kevin, out there. That’s all my goal.”

Nelly Korda is threatening danger, another shot back at 6 under, with Davidson in a group at 5 under, and seven shots from the lead, but just two out of second place.

Of the other Australasians, Robyn Choi and Grace Kim are at 1 under and in a share of 30th place, while New Zealand’s Lydia Ko just made the cut on the number in 55th place at 1 over.

Hannah Green, Minjee Lee and Gabi Ruffels all missed out on the weekend by just one shot at 2 over par with Cassie Porter several shots further back.

Leaderboard 

 

 

 

/by

Karis Davidson starts brilliantly at Hazeltine National


Karis Davidson in action during round one – image Scott Taetsch PGA of America

27-year-old Gold Coast golfer, Karis Davidson, continues to make significant strides in her LPGA Tour career, three weeks ago finishing as the joint leading Australian when 22nd at the US Women’s Open in Los Angeles after gaining the last spot in the field there, and, now, producing a stunning opening round of 65 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Minnesota.

Beginning her round at the 10th hole of the Hazeltine National Golf Club’s layout, Davidson made the turn in 32 and then added four more birdies and a bogey on her way in to be at 7 under and two shots from the lead of Korean Ina Yoon.

Scottish-born and raised till the age of 13, Davidson, who first joined the LPGA Tour in 2022 after several seasons on the Japan Ladies Tour where she essentially flew a lone Australian flag, has made all of her ten cuts in 2026 on the LPGA Tour, improving some 90 positions in the Rolex World rankings standings as a result.

At the US Women’s Open, Davidson gained a late start as a result of Celine Boutier’s win in the preceding event, opening up an opportunity for a first alternate from qualifying, and Davidson was the lucky recipient. She took full advantage by finishing 22nd and earning the second biggest cheque of her career to date on the LPGA Tour (US$133,000)

I definitely hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, and my putting was pretty on today,” said Davidson. “Really felt like I was going to hole everything. So it was a pretty perfect round.”

When asked what the difference has been in her very consistent season in 2026, Davidson responded;

“Well, I think — that’s a good question. I think I’ve been working on myself. Like mentally finding out what I enjoy off the course, I think, has really helped me on the course, because now I feel like I can enjoy it more.

“I think I just need to keep enjoying it and just try and hit the best shots I can; just really embrace the experience. I think it’s pretty special to be up top after day one, so I’m just going to embrace it.”

Minjee Lee is the next best of the Australasians at 1 under and tied for 27th, while Hannah Green, Robyn Choi and Grace Kim are at even par.

Leaderboard 

/by

Hannah Green enjoying being back at Hazeltine National


Hannah Green – file image – several factors in her favour this week

West Australian Hannah Green is one of four Australians to have won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, this week’s staging of the event with the now biggest purse in the female game (US$13 million) has special memories for the 29 year old as it was at this venue, the Hazletine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, where Green prevailed by one shot to win not only her first major title but her first LPGA Tour event.

On Wednesday, Green was asked her thoughts on the week thus far and was in a positive frame of mine when she addressed the media at a venue where she now has a membership.

“Yeah, it’s been great so far. This is actually my first time being back since 2019, which is a little sad. I wish I had come up here and used my membership a little bit more.

“But the course is in great condition. It definitely feels like a major championship test when we come back here. We had a little bit of rain yesterday. I was fortunate to kind of miss that in the morning.

“But the course is looking good, and I feel like my game is in good shape, so hopefully I can play well again and defend this golf course.

“I think it’s nice to come back to venues where we have played before, but also play new ones. Obviously, we’re playing Congressional (next year), all these really amazing golf courses, obviously, here in Hazeltine.

“I’m just going to try and not put too much pressure on myself and kind of suck it up while I’m out there tomorrow morning.

“It’s nice to kind of relive those moments in the practice round. I do hit a lot further than I used to back then. I spoke to someone, and they just said pretty much hit it in every divot that you hit last time, and I said, I hope that I can hit it a little bit further than I used to back in 2019.

“I tend to play well at venues where I’ve had success. I guess you can see that in Wilshire and Sentosa where I’ve won. So I think that has an advantage for me this week, because no matter how I’m perhaps performing, I can kind of use the positive memories in a good way. I think I’ll probably need to use that this week, being a major.

“I’m not typically the most consistent off the tee and hit a lot of fairways, so that’s something I’ve been working on with my coach, who is here with me this week to get ready. I do feel like I hit it further than I did in 2019, so that will be helpful.

“But I putted really, really well that week, and I think that’s kind of the key here at Hazeltine. Yes, you want to hit fairways and greens, but I think they’re quite tricky to read. So making sure you leave yourself as many uphill putts as possible will probably be a big difference versus a downhill putt, so hopefully I can do that this week.”

When Green did win in 2019 she became the 29th-ranked player in the female game, but having added seven further LPGA Tour titles since. she is the 8th-ranked player entering this week, thanks to a great start to 2026 when winning twice in Australia, once in Asia and once in Los Angeles.

Green has not played as well in recent weeks as she did earlier in the year, but she has not played badly all the same, and given the background she has at the venue and the significantly greater standing she enjoys in the game, she must be a consideration to contend again at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Hannah Green has a 8.17 tee time on day one.

 

/by

Can Minjee Lee or Hannah Green add to Australian KPMG PGA success?

Minjee Lee holds the 2025 KPMG Women’s Championship trophy – image PGA of America 

Seven Australians and one New Zealander will tee it up in this week’s 3rd major of the year in women’s golf, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, now established as the richest tournament in women’s golf, with prizemoney boosted to US$13 million (the largest purse in the women’s game).

Hannah Green, Minjee Lee, New Zealand’s Lydia Ko, Grace Kim, Karis Davidson, Cassie Porter, Robyn Choi, and Gabi Ruffels get the chance to tee it up and compete for a portion of that lucrative purse.

The Hazeltine Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, hosts the event for the second time, having first hosted the championship in 2019, when Hannah Green defeated Sung Hyun Park by one shot to win her first and only major to date.

Green has, of course, been in fine form in 2026, more especially earlier in the year when she won four titles in Australia, Asia and the USA. As a result of that great start to the year, Green reached an all-time high of #5 in the Rolex Rankings, but since she has slipped to 8th,  although given her standing in the game and obvious love of Hazeltine Golf Club, she must be considered a good chance to contend again.

Minjee Lee arrives as the defending champion, having defeated Channettee Wannasaen and Auston Kim by three shots last year. Lee also finished runner-up to In Gee Chun in 2022.

“I mean, really, the only thing that I remember mostly is the heat and the wind,” said Lee when asked to look back on last year. “I just remember it being such a gruelling week, and for it to be a long week, it went by really quickly, I think just because it was so hot, and I was really tired after every day.

“Also I remember holding that trophy come Sunday. So it was very nice to have all my family and my friends there celebrating with me afterwards, too.”

Lee has not recorded a top twenty in her last five starts this season, so there is concern as to her current form.

Lydia Ko played the event well in her earlier years on the LPGA Tour, recording a 2nd and 3rd place finish, but in more recent years, she has had just one top ten in her last nine starts. Ko’s form has been mixed in recent starts, with two missed cuts in her last four, but a solid 10th-place finish here in 2019 suggests she could do better this week.

Grace Kim played well in Michigan last week when she finished tied for 7th, and she does have a major championship to her name, albeit a lesser one. But while her most recent starts have been encouraging, it is hard to imagine the Sydneysider contending for this title.

Cassie Porter continues to establish herself on the LPGA Tour, finishing an impressive 5th last week in Michigan. She has three top tens on the LPGA Tour this season, and while contention in a major might be a little beyond her at present, she is on track for that to be a reality in the future. She is a much better and more experienced player than was the case when she missed the cut on debut in the event last year.

Karis Davidson has played well in recent weeks and was the leading Australasian, along with Grace Kim, when 22nd at the US Women’s Open and played well when 12th in Michigan last week.

Robyn Choi and Gabi Ruffels round out the numbers amongst the Australasians, Ruffels struggling with her game in 2026, while Choi has mixed her form this year with several missed cuts but a top ten a few weeks ago. Choi has missed the cut in her two starts in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Perhaps surprisingly, Stephanie Kyriacou has not made the field, her disappointing year on the LPGA Tour in 2026, where she has missed 9 of 12 cuts after a great start to the year, when winning a Webex Series event in Sydney, working against her chances of playing the event.

Tee Times 

Hazeltine National Golf Club – image PGA of America / Gary Kellner

/by

Wyndham Clark holds on grimly to win 2nd US Open title


A second US Open trophy, three years after his first – image Jeff Haynes USGA

Wyndham Clark took a six-shot lead into today’s final round of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills and would eventually emerged as the one-shot winner over Sam Burns, with another two shots back to Tom Kim, while Scottie Scheffler, J.T Proston and Keith Mitchell tied for 4th, one shot behind Kim.

Leading wire to wire (leading after each of the four rounds), Clark becomes the ninth player to do so in the history of the US Open. Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlory, and Tiger Woods (twice) are the only other players to do so in the last 55 years.

“Man, I mean, the first one was amazing, and this one seems even better,” said Clark, referring to this being his second win in the championship.  “I think especially after such a sour taste last year in this championship, to have some redemption and win this again is — I mean, gosh, it’s almost surreal.”

“To be honest, I was really frustrated that I made some bogeys coming in,” said Clark, referring to his slow finish on Saturday. “I did everything I could to get over that because I thought I could have been, you know, at 9-, 10-under, which would have been a little better of a cushion with the best players in the world right behind me.

“Then this morning it’s just the anticipation. You have a pit in your stomach, and you just can’t wait to get out there. So it’s nerve-wracking, but once you get inside the ropes, you kind of get into your business. I kind of took care of business a little bit.”

Large margins can be problematic for a leader, as Clark would quickly find out on an increasingly firming layout. With dropped shots by him at the 1st and 5th holes, he found himself just two clear of Burns, who was seeking redemption from losing a 54-hole lead himself twelve months ago and made a fast start today.

The margin was reduced to just one when Clark bogeyed the 7th, but Clark hit a stunning approach to the 10th and holed from 4 feet to move two clear again.

Ahead on the golf course, Burns was seemingly the only danger to Clark as challenges from those further behind came and went, but when Burns bogeyed the 15th, the margin had increased to three before Clark bogeyed the 13th for the lead to be just two.

Burns birdied the par-5 16th from 18 feet, and the margin was just one. Burns great final round effort continued with excellent shots to both the 17th and 18th, but he was unable to convert putts from 10 and 15 feet at both, and when Clark, after an extraordinary escape from the rough at the 16th, holed a 25-foot downhill for birdie, he led by two.

Clark found the green at the 17th but was left with a lengthy 65-foot birdie putt. He ran his first putt to 5 feet, and when he missed his par-saving attempt, the margin was just one ahead of Burns, who had completed his round more than 30 minutes earlier.

Clark teed off at the 72nd hole with a one-shot lead but found the right rough. The lie was, however, good enough for him to find the green, albeit 60 feet from the hole. He needed a two-putt par to secure his second US Open Championship title, and when he ran his approach putt within a foot of the hole, the job was all but done.

Clark will move from 34th in the world ranking to inside the top ten perhaps as high as 8th when the revised rankings are announced later today but not only is it this win that signifies his return to the level of golf which has seen him as high as 3rd previously, it has been an excellent run of foirm generally in recent weeks which has seen him win the Byron Nelson and finish 3rd in the Memorial in recent starts.

Clark’s accidental meeting with new coach Pat Coyner earlier this year has yielded some very special results and guarantees the 32-year-old yet another Ryder Cup appearance after first being on the US team in 2023.

Clark not only had to battle a fast-finishing Sam Burns but also a rather hostile New York crowd, and he had this to say on the matter.

“Man, they definitely didn’t want me to win. It’s pretty rare in an Open Championship or a major to have fans kind of boo against your shots or cheer for bad shots.

“Yeah, I mean, that was tough, but I also like — I mean, sometimes being the underdog is nice. I was in ’23, and I kind of did the same thing. Anytime someone said something negative to me, I replaced it with something positive. You know, some of it’s self-deserved. I kind of brought it on myself, but I also get it, too. Scottie was going for the career Grand Slam, and it hasn’t happened very often.

“Yeah, it was tough, but I’m proud of myself that I battled through. I mean, things really could have gotten away from me. I stood tough. Yeah, I would have liked to have won by more, but as long as you win, it doesn’t matter.”

The performance of the week outside that of the wire-to-wire winner, Clark, was undoubtedly that of Chilean Joaquin Niemann, who, after a round of 78 on Thursday, which included two balls out of bounds and a two-shot penalty for club throwing at the 6th hole, he finished with rounds of 65, 72 and 66 to eventually finish in a share of 7th place. Simply stunning.

“I was not trying to offend anyone,” said Niemann, referring to his club throwing penalty. “I think it was something more — it was more something kind of like against me. 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.

“After seeing that and knowing that the best score I could do was an 8, it kind of frustrated me a lot. I’m not happy doing that. I’m not proud about throwing a golf club. I get I deserve it in a way; I don’t know. But there’s nothing I can do. I feel like I learned from it.”

“The only Australasian to make the cut was Ryan Fox, whose final round of 68 saw him leap 24 places to finish in a share of 23rd. A bogey at the last after a missed 9-foot par putt cost Fox his best US Open finish (previous best 19th), but it was an impressive effort all the same.

Leaderboard 

/by

Wyndham Clark – is six shots enough at Shinnecock Hills?

Clark lines up his important eagle putt at the 16th today – image USGA Logan Whitton

Wyndham Clark will take a six-shot lead into tomorrow’s final round of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, Long Island, after a missed four-foot par putt on the last hole gave his closest pursuers perhaps a glimmer of hope.

Clark, who led by three after the first round, four after 36 holes and now six, bogeyed the opening hole today. Sam Stevens, playing in the group ahead and starting four shots back, birdied the first to cut the gap to two.

That was as close as the chasers came in round three. Clark reached the turn in one-over 36, then produced a superb display of par-saving golf before moving to eight under for the tournament at the par-five 16th, where his 250-yard approach finished four feet from the hole and he converted for eagle, the first of the week at that hole

Clark’s 36-hole challengers had largely fallen away by the time he stood over his second shot from the rough on the 18th with a seven-shot lead. A three-putt from the edge of the green reduced the margin to six, but he still left the course in firm control.

Clark was visibly frustrated with his play after his missed par putt at the last, but he had composed himself by the time he reached the media centre.

“It was very up and down, holy smokes,” he said. “I hit some good shots; I hit some terrible shots. I was a little frustrated with some of the execution.

“At the end of the day, I improved my lead, which is awesome, and I shot even par on a very tough golf course.”

“The more time passes after the round, the more accepting I am of some of the mistakes I made. Overall, it was a good day.

“I’ve become much better at moving on, treating each shot as its own challenge rather than dwelling on how I got there. Now I focus on the shot in front of me, embrace the challenge and try to hit the best shot I can.”

“That is huge in golf. In the past, especially when I was playing poorly, I let previous shots or holes affect the next one. Improving that has probably helped me the most.”

Leads of this size can be difficult to manage, with players often unsure whether to protect the advantage or keep pushing. Clark has been in contention before, although when he won at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023, he was tied for the lead after 54 holes before beating Rory McIlroy by one shot.

Clark must now manage a six-shot lead while playing alongside one of his nearest challengers in tomorrow’s final round: world number one Scottie Scheffler.

“Scottie is the best player in the world, and he is probably going to play very well,” Clark said. “He always does, but it is nice to have a six-shot lead on him.”

“I’m going to keep approaching it the same way. If I execute, stick to my process and hit the shots I know I can hit, I like my chances.”

“We’ll address that when we get to it. I’m not focused on my lead; it is more about reaching a number that I believe will give me a strong chance.”

Several players remain within reach if Clark falters tomorrow. Eleven are between six and eight shots off the lead and a strong under par finishing round might just put the cat amongst the pigeons in the event of Clark struggles.

Scottie Scheffler emerged with a back nine of 32 today as seemingly Clark’s biggest threat. Scheffler opened with consecutive bogeys but put together an outstanding back nine, which could have been so much better and the final day even more intriguing but for two missed putts from inside 6 feet at the 17th and 18th.

I mean, I’d rather be leading (laughing),” said Scheffler when asked his thoughts about tomorrow.

“No, I mean, after three days, like I said, I’ve been — we’ve been battling hard for a few days, and I did a good job of keeping myself in the tournament. I’ll need a really nice round tomorrow if I’m going to try and catch Wyndham.

“I have an opportunity to go out there and have a great round and give myself a chance to win the tournament.”

Not only is it Father’s Day tomorrow, but it is Scheffler’s 30th birthday, and whether he can celebrate both occasions with a victory remains to be seen.

It might seem like a fait accompli tomorrow, but strange things happen on Sunday in major championship golf and tomorrow might yet be a fight to the finish.

Before this week, 21 players have had a 6+ shot lead entering the final round of a major championship.  Twenty went on to win.  The exception is Greg Norman at the 1996 Masters (shot 78 in the final round and lost to Nick Faldo by five strokes).

Ryan Fox, the only Australasian to make the weekend, lost virtually no ground with his round of 74 to be at 7 over and tied for 47th.

Leaderboard 

 

 

/by

Joaquin Niemann’s bizzare Friday at Shinnecock Hills


Joaquin Niemann – rebounded from hissy fit – image Australian Golf Media

One of the more bizarre stories to come out of day two of the US Open at Shinnecock Hills was that of Chilean Joaquin Niemann, who late in his opening round on Thursday, recorded a quintuple bogey 9 at his 15th hole, but unfortunately, that would not be the end of the story for the 27-year-old.

Niemann’s two out-of-bounds tee shots meant he was playing his 6th shot to the par 4, and when that came up short of the green, he expressed his frustration by throwing a club in disgust.

After completing his round on Friday morning (he was caught up in the suspension of play for darkness on Thursday), he was approached by a USGA official who advised Niemann he would incur a two-shot penalty for an infringement of a rule introduced recently for major championship golf. Thus, the score of 9 became 11 and Niemann signed for an opening round of 78.

The LIV Golf player could have been forgiven for feeling his chances of making the weekend were gone, but, with five birdies in his first six holes in round two, he eventually finished with a round of 65, and at 3 over for the championship, he has finished safely inside the cutline in 46th place.

“I mean, I hit it two times out of bounds on the right, two bad swings, said Niemann. “Then, yeah, got pretty frustrated. I’m not someone that like to be in that behavior. I’m the first one to judge myself when I don’t behave on the golf course.

“Yeah, that was a misbehave from my part. I felt like a little bit extra penalized with two-shot penalty, but I think it is what it is. I think I’m going to learn from it. It definitely kind of helped me a little bit to have a better round today.

“I hit two terrible tee shots, came out of nowhere. Hitting the golf ball at 8:30 p.m., I felt like my body wasn’t quite there. Yeah, I had a bad lie on the third tee shot in between the fairways, and it was a pretty bad lie.

“I saw a lot of ants there, and I was just asking the referee if they were fire ants, and like, he say, no. To be honest, I was pretty — I wasn’t angry asking him. I was pretty normal, pretty chill, because I knew I needed to keep going and try to shoot the less possible.

“After that shot, I hit it, I lay up, and the whole frustration went inside me. I think they blew the horn already. I’m not sure if they did or not, but after I hit that shot, yeah, I was — like all the frustration that came inside me and had my club in my hand, and I couldn’t resist to throw it away.

“Yeah, I mean, I was looking around. There were no people, obviously. No one there. I’m not proud of it, but yeah, I mean, sometimes, you know, all the expectation of trying to play well and things don’t go your way, you get frustrated, and that was me there.

“I mean, obviously, I finished my round this morning. I had three holes left. Signed my scorecard, and then a referee came up to me and said, I need to talk to you. I was, like, sure. I knew I had misbehaved, but I feel like everybody had some, and it’s never going to anything major like a two-shot penalty, you know?

“So, yeah, I mean, he started talking to me. They considered with the whole committee that it was the right decision to give me a two-shot penalty, which I was trying to argue back and try to not get the two-shot penalty.

“But, yeah, I mean, it’s their decision, and I feel like, yeah, I wouldn’t be happy seeing players throwing clubs and behaving that way so yeah, I mean, I agree.”

Niemann’s rebound and attitude have to be admired, given that he likely felt his 2026 US Open campaign was over for the two-time PGA Tour event winner and the 2023 Australian Open Champion. It is highly unlikely, but who knows, a couple more rounds of 65 and who knows just where he might end up.

Wouldn’t that be a story?

 

 

/by