Garrick Higgo’s tee time snafu on Thursday cost him.
The South African missed the cut at the PGA Championship by one stroke Friday — one day after being assessed a two-stroke penalty for being seconds late to his 7:18 a.m. tee time for Round 1.
Higgo came out hot Thursday, shooting a 3-under 67 before the penalty knocked him back to a 1-under 69, leaving him in a great spot to potentially play the weekend.
He would have been tied for the lead after Day 1 with seven other golfers had it not been for his delay in getting to the tee box at No. 1.
Garrick Higgo reacts after his putt on the 17th green during the first round of the PGA Championship. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Although he made his tee time, Higgo struggled on Friday, making the penalty loom even larger.
Higgo shot a 6-over 76 on Friday to fall to 5-over for the tournament.
Despite tough course conditions and a field that struggled throughout the first two rounds, Higgo missed the cut by one shot — with his tardiness ultimately proving costly.
After his round one Thursday, Higgo, a two-time PGA Tour winner, said his caddie, Austin Gaugert, “was yelling at me to get to the tee.’’
“I wouldn’t have been late if I knew I was running late,’’ Higgo said. “I was there at 7:18 [and] 30 seconds. I was there on time, but the rule is if you’re one second late, you’re late.’’
Garrick Higgo of South Africa plays his shot from the 15th tee during the second round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club on May 15, 2026 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. Getty Images Higgo said there was little time to dwell on the penalty before he had to tee off.
“As I walked down [to the tee], the announcer who gave me the scorecard said that I had a two-shot penalty,’’ Higgo said. “Obviously, it wasn’t great. I knew that I firstly had to get a driver and I have to hit a tee shot. I just kind of focused on what I need to do. I mean, I wasn’t going to give up and shoot 80.
“There was only one thing that I could do, and that was make birdies and pars and hit it where I wanted to hit it. I think it shows a lot of mental strength the way I just kept fighting.’’
He joined Bryson DeChambeau, Tommy Fleetwood, Keegan Bradley, J.J. Spaun and Russell Henley among the bigger names to miss the cut at the second major of 2026.
