On Thursday at the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink, 27-year-old South African Garrick Higgo was awarded a rare two-stroke penalty. for delay in his small time.
The odd thing was that Higgo was on the field and ready to play, but he didn’t make it to the lineup until 7:19 a.m. for his scheduled 7:18 a.m. start.
“Higgo was on the practice green but was not within the designated teeing area at his tee time,” the PGA of America wrote in a release.
Not an ideal way to start a major, Higgo seemingly took the penalty in stride, posting an admirable round of one-under 69. Ironically, without the penalty, Higgo would have tied for the first-round lead at three under par.
“I was there on time, but the rule is, if you’re a second late, you’re late.” Higgo said after his round. “So if you think about it, I was there in time, if you know what I mean.”
While Higgo got off to a smooth start to his second round on Friday, unfortunately, the same cannot be said for his form. Higgo, moving up to No. 10, posted a 40 on the front nine. His seven total bogeys were tempered by just one birdie on his final hole, but it was too little, too late. Higgo’s five-over-par 36-hole total missed the mark by a single stroke.
Higgo was among a group of 12 players who found themselves on the wrong side of the cut-line by such a narrow margin – a group that included major winners Jimmy Walker and Wyndham Clark. But given the circumstances of Higgo’s two-kick penalty on Thursday, the loss was particularly costly.
Higgo is currently number 85 in the world. This week marked the eighth major of his young career, and just the second since playing the Open in 2022. Missing a cut at a major means the player is not awarded any world ranking points for that performance. For a player like Higgo, who is currently not out of the picture at the remaining majors this year, those points could mean a lot.
There is also the financial element. Higgo has amassed $142,280 in 12 tournaments so far this year. The super-sized $20.5 million PGA Championship purse presents a significant opportunity to add to that total. But you have to make the cut to collect that benefit. Players who miss the cut only get $4,300, while players who make the cut are guaranteed a payday of at least $23,000. In terms of the life of a PGA Tour player, this is important.
Unfortunately, Higgo’s penalty ensured that he did not receive these potentially lucrative benefits. A hard lesson learned – but a mistake he is unlikely to make again.
