Jon Rahm accepted the official code-of-conduct warning he received during the second round of The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

The two-time major champion admitted he shouldn't have moments like that. But in the same breath, he made it clear he has no interest in changing the intense, on-course personality.

"I don't always love the word 'emotional.' I'm definitely more intense and passionate than a lot of the players out here, especially at work," Rahm said after the round, per ASAP Sports.

"It's not like I'm going to -- if I try to alter who I am too much, it might cost me a little bit on the course. But certainly shouldn't have moments like the one on 15; I get it."

Rahm's Friday started well enough. He was cruising along at Royal Birkdale, but at the par-3 15th, Rahm hit a poor tee shot and then slammed his iron into the turf in frustration, sending it bouncing across the tee box in full view of the gallery and the broadcast cameras.

Rahm bogeyed the hole to drop to 2 under par, but birdies at Nos. 16 and 17 brought him back to 4 under entering the weekend, only four shots behind leader Lucas Herbert.

At the 17th tee, Rahm got the warning from the R&A’s official, the governing bodies of all four majors.

“When he was walking up to me. I knew exactly what it was for,” Rahm told reporters after his round, per ASAP Sports.

The R&A updated the code of conduct at the start of the season.

It states: “If a player’s (or their caddie’s) behavior is so far removed from what is expected in the spirit of the game of golf, in accordance with Rule 1.2b, the Chief Referee, in consultation with the Chief Championships Officer, may issue an official warning or apply a penalty of two strokes or disqualification, taking account of the frequency, impact or potential impact, intent and severity of the misconduct. An official warning does not need to be given prior to applying a penalty of two strokes or disqualification.”

But this is not the first time Rahm’s temper has shown up on a big stage. At the 2026 PGA Championship, he apologized after a frustrated swing sent a divot into a volunteer.

Back in 2017 at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills, and again in other tense moments over the years, he has shown that his passion can spill over when he is angry.

Rahm's Warning Fits Into 2026's Conduct Crackdown 

The same code‑of‑conduct policy that gave Rahm a warning has been tested at every major championship in 2026. But it has been applied in very different ways.

At Augusta National in April, the first warning under the new policy went to Sergio Garcia. On the second hole of the final day, he pushed a tee shot. Furious, he slammed his driver into the tee box. Then he swung it into a nearby cooler so hard that the clubhead snapped right off.

"Not super proud of it, but sometimes it happens," Garcia said afterward, per Golf Channel. He later posted a public apology for his action.

The U.S. Open saw the toughest response. Joaquin Niemann was hit with a two-stroke penalty after throwing his club, and officials called it serious misconduct.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Md Saife Fida