Garrick Higgo Takes Two-Stroke Penalty at PGA Championship — Us Pga 2026

Garrick Higgo took a two-stroke penalty at us pga 2026 on Thursday after arriving one minute late to his first-round tee time. The South African still finished his opening round at 1-under 69, but the penalty changed the shape of a start that could have been cleaner.

Higgo and the 7:18 a.m. tee time

Higgo was scheduled to tee off at 7:18 a.m. with Michael Brennan and Shaun Micheel. He reached the tee at 7:19 a.m., and the penalty followed under Rule 5.3 in the Rules of Golf, which adds two strokes for arriving no more than five minutes late.

That rule leaves no room for a soft landing. More than five minutes late brings disqualification, so the margin between a penalty and being out of the championship is measured in minutes, not shots.

Double bogey at the start

The penalty hit immediately. Higgo opened with a double bogey on the first hole, then steadied himself with birdies on Nos. 3 and 9 to get back to even par during the round.

He said, “I was trying to stay as warm as possible.” He also said, “It wasn't a surprise. I was late. My caddie was yelling at me to get to the tee.”

Rule 5.3 and Higgo’s round

Higgo added, “I was just trying to get evidence. I feel like any of you would have done the same, I was there on time, but the rule is, if you're one second late, you're late. So if you think about it, I was there on time, if you know what I mean.” He described his routine this way: “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.”

The 1-under 69 came in his fourth PGA Championship appearance and in a tournament where he was chasing his first top-40 finish in any major. For a two-time PGA TOUR winner, the round showed how quickly a minor timing lapse can alter the opening scorecard before the leaderboard has even settled.