US PGA Championship 2026: Garrick Higgo receives bizarre penalty for arriving late to Aronimink tee-time

South African Garrick Higgo was denied a share of the clubhouse lead at the US PGA Championship after arriving at the tee a minute late after taking a rare two-shot penalty at the start of his first round.

Higgo, 27, carded a double-bogey six on the opening hole as a result, but rebounded with four birdies for a solid round of one-under 69 at Aronimink.

When Higgo finished his lap around 12:45 local time, he would have been at the top of the leaderboard with fellow South African Aldrich Potgieter had he not been penalized for being late.

Tournament officials said Higgo “was not within the area defined as the starting point at the start time.”

“I always cut well and it was quite cold this morning,” Higgo, who is still training, told Sky Sports.

“I never want to go out 10 minutes early and get cold when I have to hit a driver.

“Usually I make five strokes before going to the starting point and go there thinking I have five minutes – but obviously I didn’t.

“I took a hit, I thought I heard my name, my reliever was yelling at me, so I ran.”

Had Higgo been five minutes late, he would have been disqualified from the second men’s major of the season.

Higgo was supposed to kick off at 7:18 am on the Pennsylvania field alongside American pair Shaun Micheel and Michael Brennan.

Higgo arrived within seconds of one of his playing partners entering his drive and was informed of the penalty by a rules official.

Asked if he objected to the decision, Higgo said: “I didn’t say anything; I knew I had to prepare myself. I couldn’t argue with him and then go out of bounds.

“Then I said I’d take care of it.”

At the end of his tour, Higgo was seen arguing his case with the PGA of America in the clubhouse, but the penalty was not overturned.