Overview
- Higgo was ruled outside the defined starting area at his 7:18 a.m. tee time on Thursday, May 14, and received a two-stroke penalty that turned a 67 into a 69 and ultimately contributed to him missing the cut by one stroke.
- Live broadcast footage showed caddie Austin Gaugert urging Higgo to hurry from the practice green to the first tee before officials enforced the timing rule.
- Higgo and Gaugert split days later, a change confirmed by multiple outlets, and Higgo’s agent told Golfweek that former caddie Nick Cavendish-Pell will be on his bag immediately for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
- Gaugert posted on Instagram on Wednesday taking responsibility for the error and saying he “fell short” of his duties, while tournament officials left the penalty and score unchanged.
- The episode highlights that caddies handle logistics as well as club selection, and that strict start-time enforcement plus instant TV evidence can quickly alter professional relationships and lineup decisions.