Garrick Higgo's Ex Caddie On PGA Championship Penalty

Garrick Higgo talks to his caddie Austin Gaugert during the RBC Heritage on the PGA Tour — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The caddie let go by Garrick Higgo after missing his PGA Championship tee time has spoken out for the first time since the incident at Aronimink last week.

Higgo was given a two-stroke penalty by PGA of America officials after arriving late to the tee box for his opening round of the PGA Championship.

Far from being angry about the situation, Gaugert shouldered the blame for Higgo missing his tee time as he posted on social media.

"As a caddie, you try to do everything you can to prepare your player for competition and I fell short of that," Gaugert said on Instagram.

"Garrick was understanding throughout the situation and handled it with professionalism and class. This has happened to players before and will again.

"Garrick handled this difficult situation with grace, and I wish him nothing but success moving forward."

Gaugert added the Higgo, who has gone back to former caddie Nick Cavendish-Pell, remains a good friend despite the bizarre mishap, which really sparked interest at Aronimink.

Garrick Higgo and his caddie walk along the fairway at the 2026 PGA Championship

It's unusual for players to miss their tee times at all, let alone in a Major, but even after that interest in the story increased when Higgo tried to explain the penalty - but only served to add to the confusion.

"It's kind of - I was there on time, but the rule is, if you're one second late, you're late. So if you think about it, I was there on time, if you know what I mean," said Higgo in his now infamous explanation.

"I don't want to be there ten minutes early. I know that five minutes is fine. I thought I had time.

"I could have added maybe five minutes for the walk from the range to the tee, but everything is kind of here."

Higgo admitted he was "obviously too casual" in his approach, but Gaugert has also now accepted some of the blame for one of the headline making moments of the PGA Championship.

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.