Garrick Higgo Penalized but Prevails at PGA Championship

South African golfer Garrick Higgo faced a two-stroke penalty for arriving late to his tee time during Thursday's opening round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club. Despite this setback, Higgo ended the day just two shots off the lead with a one-under-par 69.

Higgo, a two-time PGA Tour winner, was scheduled to start from the par-four first hole at 7:18 a.m. ET, alongside Shaun Micheel and Michael Brennan. The 27-year-old was practicing but not at the designated starting point in time, risking disqualification.

Fortunately, Higgo reached the tee five minutes late but within the allowable window to avoid disqualification. Reflecting on his penalty, Higgo expressed gratitude for being allowed to compete and used the incident as motivation to perform well, staying close to the leaders, including Scottie Scheffler and Martin Kaymer at three-under par.

(With inputs from agencies.)