South Africa’s Garrick Higgo began this year’s PGA Championship with a two-stroke penalty after arriving to the tee box a minute late after some last-second putts on the practice green.
The 27-year-old did not immediately dispute the penalty and was polite with the tournament official at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia.
‘You know you’re late to the tee,’ the official is heard telling Higgo on CBS Sports as he arrived at the first hole.
‘Yes, sorry,’ Higgo quietly replied.
The official then issued the penalty, saying: ‘Two shots.’
Higgo, who finished the day at -1, remained civil and replied, ‘Thank you,’ but later had a word with tournament officials about the penalty.
South Africa’s Garrick Higgo began this year’s PGA Championship with a two-stroke penalty after arriving to the tee box a minute late. He would go on to finish at -1 for the day
‘I was late,’ he told ESPN. ‘I mean, one second is tough to define. But I feel like there should be maybe a minute’s grace. There’s a bunch of times on tour we tee off 15 seconds after our tee time… I’ve definitely had a few times where I had to say to the starter: “It’s already a minute past our time.”‘
Some fans, however, did not agree with Higgo’s perspective.
‘The lack of accountability is astonishing,’ one fan wrote on X.
Others took issue with Higgo’s claim that a second is ‘tough to define.’
‘[Time] is literally the one thing that’s most easily defined across the world,’ one fan added.
Much of the online conversation focused on the penalty and the decade-old rule itself.
Some on social media described the penalty as ‘brutal,’ while one golf fan characterized golf rules as ‘stricter than school attendance.’
‘Rules are rules in sports, but this one feels a bit harsh,’ another fan wrote.
Garrick Higgo of South Africa walks the 16th hole alongside caddie Austin Gaugert during the first round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown, Pennsylvania
Many more agreed with the decision, arguing that any leniency could give way to bigger problems.
‘Unfortunately it has to be enforced,’ one fan remarked on X. ‘If 1 minute late is ok, what’s wrong with 2, then 3, 4, etc. You gotta be there at your tee time.’
‘It’s perfectly fair,’ another wrote on X. ‘Every professional knows the rule for starting times. It’s an inexcusable mistake on his part.’
Many fans simply asked: ‘Where do you draw the line?’
Then there was the crowd who took aim at Higgo over his long hair, which he tied into a bun and covered with a baseball hat.
‘Pony tail should be another 2 shots,’ one critic wrote.
‘He should get an additional 2 shot penalty for that head of hair he has,’ another added.
One fan joked that the ruling ‘seems harsh, but given the hair, I’d give him 3-strokes.’
Higgo obviously could be at -3 after one round without the penalty, but he still has a chance to perform well at the PGA Championship, given his strong first round.
He’d endured an up-and-down 2026 season heading into the PGA Championship, missing the cut in 7 of 12 tournaments this year. Most recently, he finished tied for 67 at the Myrtle Beach Classic.
