The PGA Championship is now underway at Aronimink Golf Club, with plenty of drama already taking place early on day one.
World number one Scottie Scheffler is the defending champion at the major, having clinched the title at Quail Hollow Club this time last year.
He is among the late starters in round one on Thursday, with the likes of fellow superstars Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau out early.
Also out early but making headlines for all the wrong reasons before he even got underway at the PGA Championship was PGA Tour player Garrick Higgo.
Garrick Higgo given two stroke penalty at the PGA Championship for late tee time
South African Higgo suffered a major setback early on at Aronimink, having been penalized two strokes for being late for his tee time.
Paired with American duo Shaun Micheel and Michael Brennan, the two-time PGA Tour winner was scheduled to start his opening round at 7.18 am.
However, Higgo was on the practice putting green but was not within the area defined as the starting point at his allocated starting time.
He fell foul of Rule 5.3a from the PGA of America’s Local Rules and Terms of the Competition, which states that the starting point for hole one and hole 10 is defined by the rope, gallery stakes, green bike fencing and/or blue stakes, blue dots or blue lines.
Despite the significant setback, Higgo finished his first nine holes on even par, which at the time placed him in a tie for 19th.
What is Garrick Higgo’s record on the PGA Tour?
Earning his PGA Tour card in 2021, Higgo is chasing his maiden major championship title at Aronimink this week at the age of 27.
The world number 85 has made 119 starts throughout his PGA Tour career, making the cut 65 times and securing two wins.
He emerged victorious at the 2021 Palmetto Championship at Congaree, and the 2025 Corales Puntacana Championship.
Higgo finished in a tie for 55th at last year’s PGA Championship, with his plans to improve upon that result this year having just taken a major blow early on.
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