PGA Tour winner Garrick Higgo starts PGA Championship with two-shot penalty for late arrival to first tee

LIV golf is all but finished, but a dark cloud now hangs over the players: what happens next? Dan Dakich and crew discuss how the PGA will respond.

Arriving at the first tee on time should be the easiest part of competing in the PGA Championship, but it turned out to be an impossible task for Garrick Higgo on Thursday morning.

The South African's first-round tee time at Aronimink Golf Club was set for 7:18 a.m. local time, but he couldn't manage to make it to the tee box when his starting time arrived on Thursday.

Garrick Higgo of South Africa reacts on the 15th hole during the first round of the RBC Heritage 2026 at Harbour Town Golf Links on April 16, 2026, in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The PGA of America announced that Higgo was penalized two strokes for being late for his opening round tee time. He was on the property, but was on the putting green near the first tee, which is "not within the area defined as the starting point at his starting time."

So, Higgo began his PGA Championship by hitting his third shot before even hitting a golf ball in the tournament. He ended up carding a double bogey six on the opening hole, but managed to erase the tough start by making the turn on Thursday at even par thanks to two birdies.

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Garrick Higgo of South Africa plays his shot from the 11th tee during the first round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans 2026 at TPC Louisiana on April 23, 2026, in Avondale, Louisiana.  (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

The entire situation is mind-numbing. Higgo is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour and has been a professional golfer since 2019, yet he lost