Garrick Higgo was punished on the PGA Championship for being late to his tee time.
Garrick Higgo disagreed with the penalty handed out by the PGA of America (Picture: ESPN)
Garrick Higgo spent 20 minutes pleading with PGA Championship officers after being handed a two-stroke penalty at Aronimink Golf Membership. The South African arrived roughly a minute late for his 7.18 am tee time forward of Thursday’s opening spherical and was instantly knowledgeable of the punishment.
He did handle to place the nightmare starting behind him and accomplished the day underneath par. The 27-year-old left-hander made a par on the first, which was transformed right into a double-bogey six, but he went on to card 4 birdies en path to a one-under-par 69, inserting him inside the highest 20.
We use your sign-up to offer content material in methods you have consented to and to enhance our understanding of you. This may increasingly embody adverts from us and third events based mostly on our understanding. You may unsubscribe at any time. Learn our Privateness Coverage
Associated articles
Rory McIlroy and PGA Championship stars despatched stark warning as movies emerge
PGA Championship star punished for breaking golden rule as assertion launched
After strolling off the 18th, Higgo made his technique to the scoring constructing and engaged in a 20-minute dispute with event officers, placing ahead his case and demanding proof to verify he had certainly been late.
Higgo provided a considerably puzzling evaluation when talking to ESPN. He mentioned: “I imply, the rule is when you’re one second late, you are late. I used to be clearly there on time, however late, and that is a two-shot penalty, and you’ve got 5 minutes then till you are DQ’d.
“I assume I may have taken 5 minutes longer or simply underneath that. Clearly, it is unlucky. I often minimize it tremendous. It was chilly this morning and I needed to be as heat as doable coming from the vary, so I feel it exhibits a whole lot of psychological power the best way I stored preventing. It wasn’t going to have an effect on my swing or my placing.”
The PGA of America has remained silent since releasing an announcement earlier within the day, confirming Higgo had been present in breach of Rule 5.3 and had two strokes added to his scorecard.
“Garrick Higgo, from South Africa, was penalized two strokes for being late to the tee throughout spherical one of many PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Membership in Newtown Sq., Pennsylvania,” the assertion learn.
Garrick Higgo throughout his first spherical. (Picture: Getty Photos)
“Higgo was on the apply placing inexperienced however was not throughout the space outlined as the place to begin at his beginning time.”
When requested whether or not he agreed with the penalty, Higgo replied: “In all probability not, nevertheless it’s tremendous. I used to be late. It is robust, one second is tough to outline.
“I really feel like there ought to perhaps be a minute’s grace as a result of there is a bunch of occasions on tour we tee off 15 seconds after our tee time with starters simply being just a little bit off time. I’ve positively had a couple of occasions I’ve needed to say to the starter it is already a minute previous our time.”
He added: “I am tremendous proud [of how I coped with it]. I feel a whole lot of guys would have shot rather a lot after what occurred.”
This text first appeared on Mirror US.
Leave a Reply