Garrick Higgo Assessed 'Late to the Tee' Penalty Garrick Higgo, a South African professional golfer, was penalized two strokes during the first round of the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, for arriving late to the tee. The penalty was imposed by the PGA of America Rule Committee, which cited Rule 5.3a of the competition’s regulations. Higgo’s delay occurred at 7:18 am, well before the scheduled starting time for the first hole, which was set at 9:00 am. According to the PGA’s Local Rules and Terms of the Competition, the starting point for the first hole is defined by specific markers on the course, including ropes, gallery stakes, green bike fencing, blue stakes, blue dots, or blue lines. Higgo was on the practice putting green at the time of his arrival but was not within the designated starting area. The committee determined that his failure to be at the starting point by the exact starting time constituted a breach of Rule 5.3a. Rule 5.3a outlines that a player’s round begins when they make a stroke to start their first hole, as specified in Rule 6.1a. The rule also mandates that players must be ready to play at their assigned starting time, which is treated as an exact moment—such as 9:00:00 am, not any time before 9:01 am. If a player arrives at the starting point and is ready to play but is more than five minutes late, they receive the general penalty for the first hole, which in this case was two strokes. The PGA of America’s ruling clarified that while arriving late to the tee is a violation, exceptions exist. For instance, if a player arrives at the starting point and is ready to play within five minutes of the scheduled time, they are only penalized with the general penalty.#pga_of_america #aronimink_golf_club #garrick_higgo #2026_pga_championship #newtown_square_pennsylvania
Garrick Higgo Penalized for Late Tee Time at PGA Championship South African golfer Garrick Higgo was assessed a two-stroke penalty for arriving late to his first-round tee time at the 2026 PGA Championship. The PGA of America announced the decision, citing Rule 5.3 of the Rules of Golf, which states players arriving no more than five minutes late to their scheduled tee time receive a two-stroke penalty. Higgo, who was scheduled to tee off at 7:18 a.m. alongside Michael Brennan and Shaun Micheel, arrived at the designated tee at 7:19 a.m., as reported by the ESPN broadcast. The delay resulted in a double bogey on the first hole. Higgo made a birdie on the third hole, bringing his score to 1-over par through eight holes. The PGA of America noted that Higgo was on the putting green but not “within the area defined as the starting point at his starting time” when he arrived. The penalty highlights the strict adherence to timekeeping in professional golf, where even minor delays trigger consequences. Higgo, a two-time PGA TOUR winner, is making his fourth appearance at the PGA Championship. This year’s event marks his third consecutive major championship, following his participation in the 2025 U.S. Open and 2025 Open Championship. Despite his experience, the penalty at Aronimink Golf Club underscores the challenges of maintaining precision in all aspects of the game. Higgo, who has yet to secure a top-40 finish in any major championship, is seeking to make his mark at the PGA Championship. The rules governing tee times are designed to ensure fairness and maintain competition integrity. Rule 5.3 explicitly states players must arrive at their designated tee time within the specified timeframe.#pga_of_america #pga_championship #garrick_higgo #michael_brennan #shaun_micheel
Justin Hicks Leads Corebridge Financial Team Members into Weekend of 86th Senior PGA Championship Justin Hicks, a PGA Teaching Professional at Stonebridge Country Club in Boca Raton, Florida, is currently tied for sixth place and leads 10 members of the Corebridge Financial team into the weekend of the 86th Senior PGA Championship at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida. This marks Hicks’s first appearance in the Senior PGA Championship, where he has positioned himself strongly on the leaderboard. Hicks opened the tournament with a 3-under 69 in the first round, placing him three strokes behind the lead. His performance continued to improve in the second round on Friday, where he started with a strong run of birdies on holes 10, 12, and 14. “Yeah, I hit a lot of great shots,” Hicks said after his round. “Then we kind of made the turn, and golf happened a little bit.” Despite a challenging stretch on the front nine, where he encountered difficulties on the greens and posted bogeys on holes 2 and 5, Hicks salvaged his round with an impressive eagle on the Par-5 7th hole. The eagle putt, which traveled approximately 45 feet from just off the green, was a pivotal moment for Hicks. “I hung in there and decided to try to give it a run there at seven. I left it just short and holed a long putt,” he explained. “I think I was so excited I didn’t know how to hit the next tee shot.” The successful eagle secured a second consecutive 3-under par, 69 round, placing Hicks at 6-under par overall heading into the weekend. Hicks’s performance has been particularly notable given his dual role as a coach. On typical Fridays, he spends two hours teaching junior golfers at his club, but this weekend in Bradenton has been anything but routine.#pga_of_america #justin_hicks #corebridge_financial #stonebridge_country_club #the_concession_golf_club
L.A. spoils Tiger's return, tops Jupiter Links for TGL title The Los Angeles Golf Club secured the 2026 TGL championship with a decisive 9-2 victory over Jupiter Links in the SoFi Cup finals. The match, played in a best-of-three format, concluded in 10 holes after Los Angeles rallied with three consecutive eagles to clinch the title. Tiger Woods, who made his first appearance in over a year, played a pivotal role for Jupiter Links as their captain but fell short as his team was outmatched. Woods, recovering from October back surgery, had initially served as a cheerleader for Jupiter Links. However, after Los Angeles took an early lead in the first match of the series, he opted to step into the playing role, replacing Kevin Kisner. His most critical moment came on the seventh hole, where a missed 3-foot putt allowed Los Angeles to seize momentum. The match ended swiftly, with Jupiter Links unable to recover from the deficit. “I missed a short one to give them momentum, and we never got it back,” Woods admitted after the match. While he expressed frustration over the loss, he emphasized his determination to continue competing. “This body doesn’t recover like it did when it was 24, 25. It doesn’t mean I’m not trying,” he said. Woods hinted at his potential return for the Masters tournament in April, noting his commitment to recovery and preparation. The match’s turning point came when Los Angeles extended their lead to 6-2 heading into singles play. Key moments included Max Homa’s strategic decision to use a “hammer” — a rule allowing the hole to be worth three points — after Jupiter Links threatened to extend the series. Homa’s missed putt led to an automatic win for Los Angeles, sealing their victory. Jupiter Links, which earned $4.5 million for the loss, faced challenges in maintaining their momentum.#tiger_woods #jupiter_links #los_angeles_golf_club #sofi_cup #pga_of_america
