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Garrick Higgo started the PGA Championship on the wrong foot by missing his tee time for his opening round by a single minute, and he would have made the cut if not for the penalty he was hit with as a result. He fired his caddie in the wake of the tournament, and the man he parted ways with decided to keep it classy while responding to that development.
Most golfers who show up late for their tee time risk being chewed out by the starter and, at the very worst, losing the right to take to the course that day and potentially forfeiting the money they forked over to book the round. However, the stakes are a bit higher if you roll up late to a PGA Tour event.
Garrick Higgo learned that the hard way when the PGA Championship got underway at Aronimink Golf Club last week, where he was scheduled to tee off at 7:18 for his opening round on Thursday. However, he rolled up to the designated area a minute after he was supposed to arrive, which led to him being assessed a two-stroke penalty and finishing the day at -1 as opposed to -3.
The 27-year-old South African shot a 76 on Friday and ultimately missed the cut by a single stroke. He theoretically would have earned the right to play the weekend if not for the hiccup, meaning he had to settle for a $4.300 stipend at a major where he would have earned a minimum of $23,900 based on what the man who ultimately finished in 82nd walked away with.
His caddie, Austin Gaugert, is now his former caddie after being kicked to the curb in the wake of the tournament, and he declined to engage in the blame game while issuing a response to that development.
Here’s what Garrick Riggo’s caddie had to say after he lost his job following the PGA Championship
Higgo was in the vicinity of the first hole as his tee time neared on Thursday, but people who watched the situation unfold said he peeled off toward the putting green as he was walking toward it with Gaugert and failed to heed his caddie’s warning about his tardiness in a timely manner.
However, in the world of professional golf, caddies traditionally shoulder the blame for failing to take control in situations like that, and while other factors may have come into play, it’s safe to assume the incident contributed to Higgo’s decision to replace Gaugert with Nick Cavendish-Pell (who he has previously worked with) for this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson outside of Dallas.
According to GolfWeek, Gaugert broke his silence on the matter in a post that appeared on his Instagram Story on Wednesday, saying he “fell short” of the expectations that come with being a caddie and crediting his former employer for showing “professionalism and class” in regard to the “difficult situation.”
guags88/Instagram
Gaugert obviously made the smart play here by not burning any bridges, and when you consider he previously worked the bag for Alex Noren, Patrick Rodgers, and Ryan Moore, it seems like there’s a solid chance he’ll be teaming up with someone else for other PGA Tour events at some point in the future.