Garrick Higgo penalized two strokes at PGA Championship for late tee time

Arriving on time at the first tee should have been simple for Garrick Higgo in the first round of the PGA Championship. Instead, the South African missed his 7:18 a.m. local time start at Aronimink Golf Club on Thursday morning.

The PGA of America hit Higgo with a two-stroke penalty. He was on the property but remained on the putting green near the first tee, outside the defined starting area when his time arrived.

Higgo thus opened the tournament by playing his third shot without having struck a ball. He carded a double bogey six on the hole but bounced back with two birdies to make the turn at even par.

Higgo, a two-time PGA Tour winner and pro since 2019, lost track of time on the putting green at the major.

The incident recalled Rory McIlroy's infamous tee time mishap at the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club. McIlroy pulled up just 12 minutes before his match against Keegan Bradley, having overlooked that the course was in the central time zone. His listed 12:25 p.m. ET start time threw him off.

McIlroy won the match that Sunday. Europe took the team event 14.5-13.5. Erica Stoll, then a PGA of America employee, arranged a police escort to rush him to the course. The pair married five years later at Ashford Castle in Ireland.