Garrick higgo’s caddie apologizes for PGA Championship tardiness penaltyGarrick Higgo was handed a two-stroke penalty for being one minute late to his tee time for the first round of the PGA Championship on Thursday, May 14. He missed the cut by one stroke and fired his caddie after the tournament. The ex-caddie, Austin Gaugert, is now apologizing for causing the South African golfer the penalty.
According to Golfweek, Gaugert posted a message on Wednesday, May 20 to his Instagram stories reflecting on the mishap. “I want to say something about the incident with Garrick Higgo being late to the tee on Thursday at the PGA Championship. As a caddie, you try to do everything you can to prepare your player for competition and I fell short of that,” he wrote in white text against a black background.
“garrick was understanding throughout the situation and handled it with professionalism and class. This has happened to players before and will again. Garrick handled this difficult situation with grace, and I wish him nothing but success moving forward.
“1 / 4Golfers who have won PGA Tour events in 2026 seasonFeb. 8: Chris Gotterup raises the trophy after winning the WM Phoenix Open golf tournament at TPC Scottsdale. (Anna Carrington, Imagn Images)Even though Higgo hired Nick Cavendish-Pell, who carried for him when he won the 2021 Palmetto Championship, as his caddie moving forward, Gaugert expressed gratitude for being able to form a friendship with the golfer.
“After working with garrick and finding the highest success in caddying, Garrick has become a better friend to me than just a boss,” he said. “I will always be grateful for that. “During the PGA Championship, Higgo had a 7:18 a.m.
ET start time for the first round at Aronimink Golf Club. That morning, he was at the nearby putting green trying to keep warm and wandered toward the tee box. Gaugert waved him over, signaling him to hurry.
Higgo arrived at 7:19 a.m. and was told by an official that he was given the two-stroke penalty required by Rule 5.3a. “He tells me I got a two-shot penalty straight away. It was a little unnecessary, but it’s fine.
It is what it is,” Higgo said. “My caddie was on the tee box. I had my putter in my hand.
Obviously I didn’t have my watch on me. I didn’t have my phone with me. I’m already in the clouds a little bit as it is, so it just is what it is.
I don’t know what else to do. “The two-time PGA tournament winner shared how Gaugert affected his readiness.“My caddie dropped my TrackMan in the locker I went to the putting green thinking I still had five minutes,” Higgo explained after the first round. “I hit one putt heard my name being called.
My caddie was yelling at me and I ran down and got a two-shot penalty.”Aaron Rai was the winner of the Wanamaker Trophy over the weekend. It was his first time winning the PGA Championship. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Garrick Higgo’s caddie apologizes for late PGA Championship tee time
