Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
A single stroke can be the difference between hundreds of thousands (and even millions of dollars) when you compete in a professional tournament. Garrick Higgo subsequently made what could be a very costly mistake at the PGA Championship, as he was hit with a penalty after arriving for his tee time a minute after he was scheduled to kick off his opening round.
Golf is a sport that’s governed by a code of etiquette you’re supposed to abide by when you head to the course, which includes the expectations surrounding the tee times that are fairly critical when it comes to facilitating the pace of play.
Most people who play golf for fun give themselves time to warm up and head to the first hole at least a few minutes before their scheduled tee time in order to avoid being chewed out by one of the starters who tend to be more than happy to dress you down if you show up late.
Amateurs who don’t arrive in a timely manner run the risk of being pushed to a later slot and potentially not even being allowed on the course. Professional golfers have even more incentive to ensure they’re ready to go due to the ramifications they face, and one man learned that the hard way after starting the PGA Championship with a couple of extra strokes on the card.
Garrick Higgo earned a two-stroke penalty at the PGA Championship after spending too much time on the putting green before his tee time
This week, a grand total of 156 golfers descended upon Aronimink Golf Club for the 108th edition of the PGA Championship.
That included Garrick Higgo, the 27-year-old South African who’s had a pretty rough year on the PGA Tour this season (he’s missed the cut in seven of the 12 events he’s competed in while peaking with a tie for 40th at the Cognizant Classic). However, he still got the chance to compete in the major for the fourth time via an invitation from the PGA of America.
Higgo was partnered up with Michael Brennan and 2003 PGA Championship winner Shaun Micheel for the first two rounds, and that threesome was the fourth group to hit the course on Thursday with a tee time of 7:18 A.M.
Brennan and Micheel kicked things off with a clean slate, but the same could not be said for Higgo, who was informed he’d been assessed a two-stroke penalty after showing up at 7:19.
Garrick Higgo was assessed a two-stroke penalty for arriving one minute late to his tee time. pic.twitter.com/zp9yrVTBb9
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 14, 2026
According to a statement issued by the tournament, this wasn’t the case of a golfer sleeping through their alarm, as Higgo was on the practice putting green but failed to report to “the area defined as the starting point at his starting time.” He was officially assessed the penalty on the first hole, which he completed in four strokes but will go down in history as a double bogey.
Riggo, whose best finish at the PGA Championship was a tie for 55th last year, was able to cancel things out with two birdies on the front nine, and as of this writing, he was still sitting at even after 14 holes.