The 108th PGA Championship 2026 has just begun, but the drama is already in full swing! While all golfers are looking forward to a challenging round at Aronimink Golf Club, one professional already faced a bitter setback before the first tee shot: South African Garrick Higgo was assessed a 2-stroke penalty.
The reason? Higgo arrived late for his assigned tee time of 7:18 AM local time (1:18 PM CEST) on the first tee in Round 1. Two extra strokes on the scorecard – that's quite an unpleasant start to a Major, folks! It makes you wonder how something like this can happen to a pro.
Unexpected Rough Start
The rules are unforgiving, especially in a Major. According to Rule 5.3 of the PGA Tour and PGA of America, a player must report to the tee on time. Anyone who arrives late is assessed two penalty strokes. In the worst case, disqualification even looms. A clear statement: punctuality is paramount on the course here.
For Higgo, who is currently outside the top 100 in the world rankings, this is certainly not a dream start to the 108th edition of the tournament. Aronimink, a par-70 course, is hosting the PGA Championship for the first time since 1962, and no allowances are made here, even when it comes to timing.
Higgo Fights On
The penalty has already been noted on Higgo's scorecard, even though the final result is not yet determined. Reports indicate there was no appeal, and he has continued his round without further incident. This will now be a real battle to recover the lost strokes and fight his way back into contention. It will be interesting to see how he handles this pressure.
That's golf for you, golfers! Every shot counts, every second. And sometimes even those before the ball is even in play.
