Austin Gaugret didn’t even want to be Garrick Higgo’s caddie. He was earning just enough through freelancing and focusing on other things, taking time away from tour life altogether. But he eventually agreed to a three-week trial run with Higgo. And the partnership clicked almost immediately…. All until Higgo was just 30 seconds late to his tee time at the PGA Championship and was handed a two-stroke penalty before hitting a single shot at Aronimink Golf Club. 

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.”

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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. Without the penalty, his opening-round 69 would have been a 67, briefly tying him for the lead at Aronimink. Instead, the two-shot deduction turned his opening hole into a double bogey before he had even settled into the round.

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. The timing of the split became even more notable because Gaugert had only recently returned to regular tour life after stepping away and initially agreeing to work with Higgo on what was supposed to be a short-term trial basis.

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.”

The penalty itself quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the opening round because late-to-the-tee violations are rare at majors. Under Rule 5.3a, players must be present at the exact designated starting point at their assigned time. Higgo was still on the practice putting green when officials considered the clock to have expired. Had he arrived more than five minutes late instead of roughly 30 seconds, he would have been disqualified entirely.

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 missed cut also carried larger consequences beyond the tournament itself. Higgo entered the PGA Championship ranked No. 85 in the world and sitting outside the FedEx Cup playoff picture. A made cut, especially at a major with a $20.5 million purse, could have helped his standing in both the Official World Golf Ranking and the FedEx Cup race heading deeper into the season.

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