Garrick Higgo, a South African golfer, has parted ways with his caddie just days after being penalized for tardiness at the PGA Championship. Higgo incurred a two-stroke penalty for arriving one minute late to his scheduled 7:18 a.m. tee time last week.
Penalty Details
Higgo was making his way from a nearby practice putting green when his caddie, Austin Gaugert, was seen urging him to hurry. The penalty proved costly, as the 27-year-old missed the cut by a single stroke. He became the first player to be penalized for lateness at the tournament since David Lipsky in 2019.
Caddie Change
Higgo has now decided to replace Gaugert for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson this week. His agent confirmed the news to GolfWeek, with Nick Cavendish-Pell stepping in as the immediate replacement. Cavendish-Pell previously caddied for Higgo during his first PGA Tour victory at the Palmetto Championship in 2021.
Reflecting on the penalty, Higgo admitted: "It wasn't a surprise. I was late. My caddie was yelling at me to get to the tee. I knew it was probably going to happen." He added: "If you know me, then you know I am very casual and laid back. I don't want to be there 10 minutes early. I know that five minutes is fine. I thought I had time. I was obviously too casual."
Sequence of Events
Higgo explained the incident in more detail: "My caddie dropped my Trackman in the locker, and I went to the putting green thinking I still had five minutes. I hit one putt and then heard my name being called. My caddie was yelling at me and I ran down and got a two-shot penalty."
