Golf star Garrick Higgo pays the ultimate price for breaking strict etiquette rule at PGA Championship

South African golf star Garrick Higgo has missed the cut at the PGA Championship by an agonizing one stroke – just 24 hours after receiving a two-stroke penalty for arriving late to the tee box.

Higgo began the tournament two shots behind after breaking a strict etiquette rule when he arrived a minute late after some last-second putts on the practice green. 

The 27-year-old did not immediately dispute the penalty on Thursday and was polite with the tournament official at Aronimink Golf Club outside Philadelphia, who was heard telling him on CBS that he was being hit with the penalty.

Higgo, who finished the day at -1, remained civil and replied ‘Thank you,’ but later had a word with PGA officials about the penalty after arguing that he was only ‘one second’ late for his 7:18am tee time.

However, the two-stroke penalty has now come back top haunt him after he failed to make the cut at the second major championship of the year by just one shot. 

The PGA Tour player carded rounds of 69-76 at Aronimink for a 5-over total, which was not enough to earn him a weekend tee time after he missed a 24-foot eagle putt on his final hole. 

Higgo began the tournament two strokes behind after arriving late to the tee box on Thursday

‘I was late,’ Higgo told ESPN on Thursday. ‘I mean, one second is tough to define. But I feel like there should be maybe a minute’s grace. 

‘There’s a bunch of times on tour we tee off 15 seconds after our tee time… I’ve definitely had a few times where I had to say to the starter: “It’s already a minute past our time.”‘ 

Had he not received the penalty, Higgo would have been in an eight-way share of the lead with world No.1 Scottie Scheffler and Australian Min Woo Lee, among others, after Thursday’s opening round.

Yet his PGA Championship campaign is instead over for another year, with fans adamant that the two-stroke punishment on Thursday was a fair one.

One wrote on X: ‘Bro was just hanging out in the putting green not caring. It’s on him. Get to the tee on time. It’s not a hard concept.’

‘His lack of time management skills is astounding,’ said another.

While one simply put: ‘Early is on time, on time is late, and late leads to missed opportunities.’