Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm both shot one-under 69 in the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink. Their on-course behavior, particularly Thomas throwing his club in frustration, has raised questions about potential punishment.
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Justin Thomas and Jon Rahm experienced similar opening rounds of the PGA Championship at Aronimink, where day two is now underway.
The two players both carded one-under 69 to finish day one in a tie for 15th place, two shots off the leaders, of which there are seven.
But the pair have also come under the spotlight for their behaviour, with Thomas having thrown his club into the ground in frustration during his first round.
Meanwhile, Rahm apologized for hitting a volunteer with grass after swinging his club in frustration at the Pennsylvania course.
In light of the new code of conduct on inappropriate behaviour, Rex Hoggard has now suggested whether Rahm and Thomas should have been punished at the PGA Championship.
Speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast with Rex & Lav, he said: āIn the case of Justin Thomas I think that is a great example and, no, I donāt even think Jon Rahm [should be punished].
āJT threw the club out of his hand into the ground, I donāt think that should have been a violation.
āSometimes you get frustrated, anybody who has played the game of golf understands that.
āI donāt like the idea that in these particular events where so much is riding on the outcome that guys now have to be worrying about the littlest things.ā
Rory McIlroy was also guilty of hitting his club into the ground at , letting his emotions boil over en route to a four-over 74.
Justin Thomas threw his club into the ground in frustration during his first round at the PGA Championship.
Jon Rahm carded a one-under 69, finishing the first round tied for 15th place.
Their behavior, particularly Thomas's club throw, has sparked discussions about whether they should face punishment.
The PGA Championship is being held at Aronimink Golf Club.
Referee John Beaton and his family are under police protection after his personal details were leaked online. This follows Beaton's controversial penalty decision for Celtic during a match against Motherwell, which led to a 3-2 victory for Celtic.
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Ryan Lavner also shared his take on the behaviour of Thomas and Rahm, recalling a more extreme outburst at The Masters last month.
Fans want Sergio Garcia banned from The Masters after he completely lost his temper during his final round, smashing his driver into the ground and into a water cooler.
Responding to Hoggard, Lavner said: āI am completely with you. The pressure, the stakes and the emotions are high. I donāt want to see a club slam all of a sudden be here is a warning.
āKeep in mind these are rolling penalties, so if you receive a warning in the opening round and then throw a tantrum on Saturday, you are docked two shots.
āI donāt like that at all. I really think this should be saved for egregious acts of misbehaviour.
āSergio Garciaās was an egregious act of misbehaviour, it wasnāt just a club slam which is pretty common on the PGA Tour and at major championships, he was also beating the water cooler on the second hole!
āHe has had other temper tantrums throughout his career. Throwing a fit in a bunker, mutilating a rake, maybe decapitating a club, those are the sorts of acts of misbehaviour that should be falling under this policy, so if you are trying to nark on the players on social media, please find something better to do.ā
Garcia wasnāt the only player to lose his cool at Augusta National, with Robert MacIntyre slammed by golf fans for losing his temper at The Masters too.
Despite the new code of conduct in place, players continue to tread the line with their temper, with many more outbursts very likely over the coming days at Aronimink.
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