LIV Golf has confirmed Joaquin Niemann has been assessed a two-stroke penalty following round two at Mayakoba.
Joaquin Niemann has received a two-stroke penalty after the second round of LIV Golf Mayakoba, which means he will now enter the final round with a two-shot lead.
Just a few hours before the start of the third and final round, LIV Golf confirmed the decision to deduct two strokes from Niemann’s second round.
On Friday, Niemann delivered an impressive performance, setting a course record with a remarkable 12-under 59 at Mayakoba, securing a five-stroke lead.
However, after posting a score of 70 in the third round, Niemann initially believed his lead would be reduced to four shots, bringing him to a total of 13-under par.
However, things have now taken a turn as the score has been adjusted to 72, narrowing the lead to just two shots, with Niemann’s score dropping to 11-under par.
LIV Golf officials were notified by Niemann himself about a possible rule violation after his round on Saturday evening.
The issue revolved around Niemann’s drop on the 13th hole, a par-5.
Following further discussions on Sunday morning, Niemann was informed that he had indeed breached the rules and as a result, he received a two-stroke penalty.
Here’s the statement the LIV Golf League posted on social media:
“Saturday evening, following the play of round two, the rules committee became aware of a potential rules violation pertaining to Joaquin Niemann and his drop from the cart path on the par-5 13th hole.
“After reviewing the drop with Joaquin on Sunday morning prior to the final round, it was determined that he had played from a wrong place after taking relief incorrectly. Joaquin failed to drop within his one-club length relief area. The penalty for playing the ball from a wrong place is the general penalty (2 strokes) under rules 14.7a. Under the exception in Rule 3.3b(3), the rules committee revised Joaquin’s score for round two to include the 2-stroke penalty on hole 13 from a 5 to 7.”
Niemann is currently ahead by a margin of two strokes, with LIV Golf newcomer Jon Rahm and South Africa’s Dean Burmester close behind.
Sergio Garcia, equipped with his unfamiliar putter that has caught everyone’s attention, is now only four shots away from the lead!
Golf enthusiasts have been discussing Wyndham Clark’s footwork and drop on the 16th hole during the third round, which ultimately led to him achieving a remarkable course-record 60 at Pebble Beach.
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