Just a one-minute delay changed everything between Garrick Higgo and his former caddie. Higgo arrived at Aronimink 60 seconds past his tee time (7:18 a.m.) during the first round, earning a two-stroke penalty from the PGA. He still managed a one-under 69 that day, but a 76 on Friday ended his week. Days after missing the cut, Higgo announced he was parting ways with his caddie. Now, for the first time, the caddie has publicly addressed the situation.

“I want to say something about the incident with Garrick Higgo being late to the tee on Thursday at the PGA Championship. As a caddie, you try to do everything you can to prepare the player for competition, and I fell short of that,” Austin Gaugert said.

He then praised Higgo for the way he handled the fallout:

“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 had not spoken publicly since Higgo’s agent confirmed the split on Monday. His only prior reaction had been an Instagram story featuring a meme that read, “We don’t know it was the best time until it was over.” Today, he took to his Instagram stories again and accepted full responsibility for what happened.

Gaugert also shared kind words about the professional relationship they had built together.

“After working with Garrick and finding the highest success in caddying, Garrick became more than just a boss to me. He became a better friend, and I will always be grateful for that.”

Footage of the duo in a heated argument had also widely circulated. It showed Gaugert already at the tee box, yelling at Higgo to hurry as he made his way from the putting green. Higgo, however, did not rush, and he later explained why.

“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. Yeah,” he said.

Interestingly, Gaugert had not been looking for a bag when Higgo reached out. After Ryan Moore let him go at the start of 2025, Gaugert briefly freelanced with a couple of players and was seriously considering stepping away from tour life. However, Higgo reached out to Alex Gaugert, Austin’s brother, for a caddie. Alex Gaugert was Eric van Rooyen’s caddie at the time and suggested Austin’s name instead. Austin Gaugert was reluctant at first, but later worked on a three-week trial.

Their first event together was the Club Car Championship on the Korn Ferry Tour. By their second start, the partnership had already produced results. Higgo won his second PGA Tour title, nearly four years after his first in 2021. It was also the highest-earning week of Gaugert’s caddying career, netting him $72,000 from Higgo’s $720,000 winner’s share. Higgo said of him at the time:

“My caddie, Austin, is great. This is only our second week, but he’s great.”

The two stayed together through the fall, with Higgo climbing back into the world’s top 100 for the first time in over three years. Their partnership lasted just over a year before the events at Aronimink brought it to an end. Higgo has since reunited with Nick Cavendish-Pell, who had been on his bag for the 2021 Palmetto Championship victory, beginning this week at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

However, Higgo was not the first player to face a two-stroke penalty for arriving late to a major championship tee time.

Brandt Snedeker faced the same penalty at the PGA Championship

In 2011, at the Atlanta Athletic Club, Brandt Snedeker was penalized two strokes for arriving two minutes and 15 seconds late to his tee time.

Snedeker was already on the property when the same penalty was applied to his opening hole under Rule 5.3a, which requires a player to be within the exact defined starting area at the assigned starting time. A five-minute late arrival results in a two-stroke penalty, whereas anything above that results in automatic disqualification.

Although Snedeker shot a four-over 74 that day, the penalty effectively ruined any chance of making the cut. Higgo’s margin was even thinner. He missed by just one shot. In both cases, the math was brutal.