A reporter tried to get Joaquín Niemann to dwell on what could have been. However, the LIV golfer shut the door in nine words flat, and the room burst out laughing.

Niemann was asked Sunday at the 2026 U.S. Open whether he was thinking about the seven shots he lost earlier in the week and what a clean scorecard might have meant for his chances. Matt Vincenzi captured the exchange and shared it on X.

"Are you thinking, 'if that one hole didn't happen and you get those 7 shots back, I'd have a chance to win?'" The reporter asked. "If my grandmother had tires, she'd be a car," Niemann replied. Vincenzi called it "a super impressive interview from Joaco."

The line landed because of how close Niemann actually came to winning. One bad hole was the difference between a tied-for-seventh finish and a serious run at his first major title, which is exactly why the question got asked in the first place.

He became the first player in major championship history to receive a two-stroke penalty for throwing a club, turning a nine on the par-4 sixth hole Thursday into an 11 and his round into an 8-over 78. He didn't fold.

Niemann shot a 65 in the second round to make the cut, then closed with a 66 on Sunday, five birdies and one bogey, to finish 1-over 281, tied for seventh.

Without the penalty, Niemann would have finished the tournament at 1-under par. Only three players finished under par at Shinnecock Hills: Wyndham Clark at 4-under, Sam Burns at 3-under, and Tom Kim at 1-under.

If Niemann had made par on the sixth hole instead of scoring an 11, he would have finished at 6-under par, which likely would have been enough to win his first major championship.

Joaquín Niemann addressed the penalty directly

Asked if he believed the USGA made an example of him, Niemann didn't hesitate. "To be honest, yes," he said. "I was not trying to offend anyone. I think it was something more—it was more something kind of like against me."

Niemann made it clear that his club-throwing outburst was not directed at the volunteers nearby. He said he has great respect for the volunteers and understands that they are simply doing their jobs.

According to Niemann, the frustration came from his own performance on the course, not from anything the volunteers did. 

In the heat of the moment, he reacted by throwing his club. Later, he explained that the outburst came from frustration after thinking about two poor tee shots he had hit earlier. He said the reaction was not just about being upset, but also about his strong desire to keep improving and becoming a better player. 

Do you think the USGA's two-stroke penalty was fair? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Ankita Yadav