Garrick Higgo Takes 2-Stroke PGA Penalty After Missing 7:18 Tee Time by 1 Minute
Updated
Updated · ESPN · May 14
Garrick Higgo Takes 2-Stroke PGA Penalty After Missing 7:18 Tee Time by 1 Minute
16 articles · Updated · ESPN · May 14
One minute late to his 7:18 a.m. ET start, Garrick Higgo was assessed a two-stroke penalty on the first hole of the PGA Championship but still opened with a 1-under 69.
PGA of America officials said Higgo was on the putting green rather than inside the defined starting area, triggering Rule 5.3a's late-start penalty rather than disqualification because he arrived within five minutes.
The penalty turned his par on No. 1 into a double-bogey 6, and Higgo said he was "too casual" after thinking he still had time while his caddie yelled for him to reach the tee.
Higgo, ranked No. 85, said he tried to mentally treat the situation as even par and recovered with birdies at Nos. 3 and 9; playing partners Michael Brennan and Shaun Micheel shot 2-over and 7-over.
How did a pro golfer, already on the putting green, lose two strokes before his first swing?
Can a major championship be lost because of a one-minute delay on the very first hole?
Are golf's strict time penalties fair, or an outdated rule in the modern professional era?