At a major championship, everything is at stake, including the seconds you spend getting to the course. Even the most trivial delay can cost you everything. And this year, Garrick Higgo realized that. Now, just days after one of the most talked-about exits, the South African pro has parted ways with his caddie, Austin Gaugert.

The split comes directly in the aftermath of the penalty he faced at Aronimink on the first day. Higgo arrived seconds late to his 7:18 a.m. tee time and was assessed a two-stroke penalty before he even took a swing. In the aftermath, he told reporters the role Austin played that day.

“He was yelling at me to get to the tee. I wouldn’t have been late if I had known I was running late. I was there at 7:18 and 30 seconds. I thought I was there on time, but the rule is if you’re one second late, you are late.”

Higgo ultimately shot a one-under 69 that day despite the penalty and followed it with a 76 on Friday to miss the cut by one shot, meaning that had he been on time, he would have made the weekend.

Higgo and Gaugert had built a partnership that already included a win at the 2025 Corales Puntacana Championship. This stands as one of Higgo’s two PGA Tour titles. Gaugert had previously caddied for Patrick Rodgers, Ryan Moore, and Alex Noren before joining Higgo’s team.

Higgo had always made his appreciation for his caddie clear.

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

Gaugert, for his part, described being on the bag for a winner as “probably one of the best feelings in the world” and joked that he wanted to keep his job because “it’s pretty good.”

Higgo has now hired Nick Cavendish-Pell. He is not a new name to Higgo. The two actually worked together through the 2021 Palmetto Championship, which was Higgo’s first PGA Tour win, and stayed together through the 2022 season before eventually going their separate ways.

The two will now be seen together again at upcoming events, beginning next week at TPC Craig Ranch.

What comes next for Garrick Higgo?

He will now head straight into action at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, which begins on May 21 at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas. This will be his first tournament alongside his returning caddie in nearly five years.

Higgo enters the week as a long shot in a field headlined by Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth, and Brooks Koepka. But TPC Craig Ranch is a course that rewards aggressive ball striking, which has always been one of Higgo’s strengths. His new caddie, Cavendish-Pell, has previously described him as someone who stays composed under pressure, and the familiarity with Higgo’s game could prove valuable as the South African looks to rebuild momentum.

The challenge now is straightforward: get to the course on time, stay disciplined, and let the golf do the talking.