Overview
- Rahm threw or slammed his iron after an errant tee shot on the par‑3 15th at Royal Birkdale during Round 2, and broadcast footage showed the club bounce across the tee box.
- R&A officials approached Rahm on the 17th tee and issued an official code‑of‑conduct warning on Friday that will remain on his Open record for the rest of the tournament.
- The R&A did not assess a two‑shot penalty or disqualify Rahm, and he completed the round at 3‑under (67) to sit 4‑under for the tournament with no additional competitive penalty.
- The ruling follows earlier, different outcomes under the majors’ new policy this year, including a warning for Sergio Garcia at the Masters and a two‑stroke penalty for Joaquín Niemann at the U.S. Open.
- The R&A policy lets the Chief Referee and the Chief Championships Officer weigh frequency, impact, intent and severity when deciding between a warning, penalty or disqualification, and this case is likely to increase calls for clearer, more consistent guidance from major organizers.