NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — In a tough break that no golfer wants to face at a major championship, Garrick Higgo was hit with a two-stroke penalty for arriving late to his first-round tee time at the 108th PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.

The 27-year-old South African was scheduled to tee off at 7:18 a.m. ET but was still on the practice putting green when his time came. According to Rule 5.3a, a player must be "ready to play" at the starting point—defined here by ropes, gallery stakes, and blue markings—when their round begins. Higgo didn't meet that mark, and the penalty was swift.

Under normal circumstances, being late to the tee leads to disqualification. However, there's a key exception: if a player arrives within five minutes of their start time and is ready to play, they receive a two-stroke penalty applied to their first hole instead. Higgo qualified for this grace, turning what would have been a par into a double bogey six right out of the gate.

Despite the rocky start, the two-time PGA Tour winner showed resilience. He bounced back with a birdie on the third hole and played steady golf through his first eight holes, carding pars to keep his round alive. Ranked No. 85 in the Official World Golf Ranking, Higgo is no stranger to pressure, and his ability to shake off the early setback speaks to his experience on the big stage.

For golf fans and players alike, this incident serves as a reminder of the sport's strict timing rules—and the importance of being at the tee box well before your name is called. After all, in a major championship, every stroke counts, even before you swing.