Learn more about South African youngster Garrick Higgo with these facts.
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Garrick Higgo
Garrick Higgo won his first tournament while just 21-years-old, and is already displaying a tremendous amount of potential on the European Tour.
Understandably though, little is known about the South African golfer, which we’ve rectified with these facts.
10 Things You Didn’t Know About Garrick Higgo
1. Garrick Higgo was born on 12 May, 1999, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
2. Higgo attended the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2017 and 2018. He majored in hospitality management before ending his studies to pursue golf.
3. His favourites golfers include Adam Scott and Tiger Woods, citing their aggressive style and confidence.
4. Higgo became the only South African to qualify and play in both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Junior Amateur in the same year in 2016.
Related: Garrick Higgo What’s In The Bag
5. He achieved number 1 spot in South African Golf Association Open Amateur Rankings in 2017, at just 18-years-old.
That year the youngster played for the victorious South African Junior Team that claimed the nation’s 19th consecutive All-Africa Junior Golf Championship.
He also won four junior championships that year to solidify his amateur ranking in South Africa.
6. Higgo reached the semi-finals of the 2017 U.S. Junior Amateur, qualifying him for the International Team in the inaugural Junior Presidents Cup.
7. The South African turned professional at the start of the 2019 season, winning twice on the Sunshine Tour.
His wins include the Sun City Challenge and the season-ending Tour Championship at the beginning of 2020.
He also won the Big Easy Challenge 3 Tournament earlier that season, on the Big Easy Tour.
8. He earned a place on the Challenge Tour for the 2020 season, after making the cut at the European Tour Qualifying school.
That season, he won the Open de Portugal, a dual-ranking event on the European and Challenge Tours, in just his seventh European Tour start.
9. Higgo won his second European Tour Victory in April 2021, with victory at the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open.
Going into the final round as the leader, Higgo later described how Gary Player advised him the night before he won the event.
“He said there is no such thing as a lead and you should play like you are two behind. That was nice from him and he has said it so many times, but I have never really had a lead, so I haven’t had to worry about that”.
10. The South African broke into the OWGR top 100 in 2020 following his T3 finish at Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Open.
Higgo then proceeded to flitter between ranking inside and outside of the top 100, though his highest ranking saw him climb to 65th following his Gran Canaria Lopesan Open win.