South Africa's Garrick Higgo was left ruing a costly case of poor timing after being hit with a rare two-shot penalty for arriving just one minute late to his first-round tee time at the US PGA Championship—a mistake that cost him a share of the clubhouse lead.

The 27-year-old, making his fourth appearance at the major, was forced to start his round with a double-bogey six on the opening hole. Despite the early setback, he showed impressive resilience, rattling off four birdies to card a solid one-under 69 at Aronimink. Had it not been for the penalty, Higgo would have been tied at the top of the leaderboard alongside fellow South African Aldrich Potgieter when he finished around 12:45 local time.

Tournament officials ruled that Higgo was "not within the area defined as the starting point at his starting time." The golfer, who was still on the practice putting green when his name was called, admitted he always cuts it close. "I never want to get to the tee 10 minutes before and get cold when I have to hit a driver," he told Sky Sports. "Usually, I hit five putts before I go, but this time I hit one and thought I heard my name. My caddie was yelling at me, and I ran down."

Higgo was scheduled to tee off at 07:18 alongside Americans Shaun Micheel and Michael Brennan. By the time he arrived, one of his playing partners had already hit his drive. A rules official promptly informed him of the penalty. When asked if he argued the decision, Higgo said, "I didn't say anything—I knew I had to get myself ready. I couldn't argue with him and then hit it out of bounds."

The penalty stems from the PGA of America's strict local rules, which treat starting times as exact—meaning 9:00 AM means 9:00:00, not a second later. Being on the putting green, outside the defined starting point (marked by ropes or gallery stakes), put Higgo in violation. Had he been five minutes late, he would have faced disqualification from the second men's major of the season.

After his round, Higgo was seen discussing the case with PGA officials in the clubhouse, but the penalty stood. For fans and players alike, it's a stark reminder that in golf, every second counts—and sometimes, a minute can make all the difference between a share of the lead and a lesson learned.