NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Garrick Higgo’s PGA Championship is already off to a rough start.
The two-time PGA Tour winner was slapped with a two-shot penalty Thursday for arriving late to the tee for his 7:18 a.m. ET start time at Aronimink.
The PGA rules committee said that Higgo was on the practice putting green but “not within the area defined as the starting point at his starting time.”
The area for the first and 10th tees, according to the rules sheet, is by the rope, gallery stakes and bike fencing. Higgo needed to be at the first tee no more than five minutes ahead of his tee time, and video showed him arriving as his fellow playing competitor was getting set to play.
As a result, Higgo violated Rule 5.3a and received a two-shot penalty. He made double bogey on the hole to begin his round.
