Garrick Higgo Penalized 2 Strokes for Late Tee Time at PGA Championship

South African golfer Garrick Higgo was penalized two strokes for arriving one minute late to his first-round tee time at the PGA Championship, a penalty that ultimately contributed to him missing the cut at the year’s second major. Higgo, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, has since parted ways with his caddie, Austin Gaugert, who publicly accepted responsibility for the incident.

The penalty occurred Thursday morning at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Tournament officials ruled that Higgo was not within the designated starting area at his scheduled 7:18 a.m. tee time under Rule 5.3a, which treats the assigned time as exact. Higgo, who was on the practice putting green, acknowledged he did not rush to the first tee despite his caddie yelling for him to hurry. “I thought I had time. I was obviously too casual,” he said after the round.

Despite the two-stroke penalty, Higgo shot a one-under 69 in the first round, which would have been a three-under 67 without the penalty—a score that would have tied him for the lead. However, he followed with a six-over 76 on Friday, missing the cut by a single stroke.

Days after the missed cut, Higgo’s agent confirmed the...