A costly start at Aronimink
Golf is notoriously challenging, but the degree of difficulty increases significantly when a player fails to adhere to the tournament schedule. Garrick Higgo experienced this firsthand at the PGA Championship in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, when he was assessed a two-stroke penalty for missing his 7:18 a.m. tee time.
According to the PGA of America, the issue arose because Higgo was still situated on the practice green rather than arriving at the designated first tee area by his scheduled start. While the transition from the practice facility to the first tee at Aronimink can be busy, officials noted that the route is manageable with proper planning.
Official ruling and consequences
Upon his arrival at the tee box, a rules official immediately informed Higgo that he was approximately one minute behind schedule, resulting in an automatic two-stroke penalty. The PGA of America clarified the strict interpretation of tournament rules:
«The player must start at (and not before) their starting time: This means that the player must be ready to play at the starting time and starting point set by the Committee. A starting time set by the Committee is treated as an exact time (for example, 9 am means 9:00:00 am, not any time until 9:01 am).»
Moving forward
While the penalty served as a significant setback, it could have been far worse for the 85th-ranked golfer. Under tournament regulations, arriving more than five minutes late results in immediate disqualification. Despite starting his round with a double-bogey due to the penalty, Higgo demonstrated resilience by bringing his score back to even par by the turn.
Higgo, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour who most recently secured victory at the 2025 Corales Puntacana Championship, is making his third appearance at the PGA Championship. His previous best performance at the event was a T-55 finish last year at Quail Hollow.