&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "PGA Championship | Why was Garrick Higgo penalised? Golfer pays for mistake with two-stroke penalty")
In a dramatic turn of event, South Africa's Garrick Higgo was reprimanded during round 1 of the ongoing PGA Championship on Thursday (May 14) at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia. Higgo was just one minute late for his tee off in the first round and ended up paying for it with two-shot penalty. He eventually finished with 1-under 69 card, recovering well and truly from the setback at the start of his day. There was a possibility of him being not allowed to tee off but an exception to rule Rule 5.3a about being on time, which allows a golfer to arrive at the starting point ready to play no more than five minutes late, saved him from being removed from the tournament.
Why was Higgo penalised at PGA Championship?
Golf is usually a laidback sport where players take their own sweet time to get around and play, it clearly takes punctuality very seriously. Higgo was just one minute late for his 7:18 AM ET tee off time during the 108th PGA Championship at the Aronimink Golf Club and the officials did not spare him. He was penalised for two strokes and his par-4 on the first hole was carded as double-bogey six. He recovered with birdies at par-4 third hole and par-5 ninth hole.
The 27-year-old golfer was not near the starting point for tee which is defined as per the PGA of America's Local Rules and Terms of Competition by the "rope, gallery stakes, green bike fencing and/or blue stakes, blue dots or blue lines" for holes No. 1 to 10. He was practicing on putting green which was not in the defined the area of presence and hence the penalty.
What did Higgo say about the penalty?
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The golfer, more than angry, was just relieved to be able to tee off and said: "I wouldn't have been late if I knew I was running late. Obviously, this is the first time it's happened. I wasn't sure quite what. I was just happy they allowed me to tee off, firstly, you know what I mean? I was bummed when he said I had a two-shot penalty."
"If you know me, then you know I am very casual and laid back," Higgo added. "I don't know. I don't want to be there 10 minutes early. I know that five minutes is fine. I thought I had time. I was obviously too casual, yeah."
