Days after his embarrassing penalty for being tardy to his tee time for the opening round of the PGA Championship, Garrick Higgo has split with his caddie. Golfweek reported Monday that Austin Gaugert will be replaced with Nick Cavendish-Pell.
As Higgo was meandering toward the tee on Thursday, Gaugert was seen on video urging him to rush. The South African golfer had a 7:18 a.m. start alongside Michael Brennan and Shaun Micheel at Aronimink Golf Club. He arrived at 7:19, was immediately handed a two-stroke penalty and then failed to make the cut by one stroke.
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The decision to change caddies isn’t too shocking considering Higgo’s comments after the round.
“My caddie dropped my TrackMan in the locker and I went to the putting green thinking I still had five minutes,” Higgo said. “I hit one putt and then heard my name being called. My caddie was yelling at me and I ran down and got a two-shot penalty.”
After, Higgo was seen on ESPN having an animated discussion with officials in the scoring tent.
The 29-year-old is believed to be the first player since David Lipsky in 2019 to be penalized for arriving late at the PGA Championship. Another minute and he would have been disqualified completely.
The change is immediate, Higgo’s agent confirmed to Golfweek, and Cavendish-Pell will be on Higgo’s bag this week at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Dallas.
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It’s a reunion. Cavendish-Pell was carrying for Higgo when he won the 2021 Palmetto Championship, his first win on the PGA Tour. The two worked together through the 2022 season before going their separate ways.
Higgo partially took responsibility for his tardiness.
“If you know me, then you know I am very casual and laid back,” Higgo said. “I don’t want to be there 10 minutes early. I know that five minutes is fine. I thought I had time. I was obviously too casual.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Garrick Higgo changes caddie after costly PGA penalty
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