It was a costly case of "just one more minute" for Garrick Higgo at the 2026 PGA Championship. The two-time PGA Tour winner arrived at the first tee box at Aronimink Golf Course one minute late for his 7:18 a.m. starting time on Thursday, and the penalty was swift and severe. Under PGA rules, late arrivals are hit with a two-stroke penalty, turning what would have been a par into a double bogey 6 before he even hit his first shot.

The South African, making his first PGA Championship appearance since 2022, was shown on the broadcast walking toward the tee box at 7:19 a.m. — just 60 seconds past the deadline. ESPN commentator and former major champion David Duval summed up the moment simply: "Really inexplicable."

For Higgo, the mistake is especially frustrating given the high stakes of a major championship. Every shot counts, and starting the tournament two strokes over par before you've even swung a club is a tough hole to dig out of. It's a reminder that in professional golf, punctuality is just as important as precision.

As the first round unfolds at Aronimink, Higgo will need to shake off the early miscue and focus on the 71 holes ahead. For fans and players alike, it's a lesson that even the best in the world can be undone by a simple lapse in timing.