Professional golfer Garrick Higgo has ended his working relationship with caddie Austin Gaugert following a disappointing performance at the PGA Championship that included a penalty for tardiness.
The golfer’s agent confirmed to Golfweek on Monday that Higgo has brought back former caddie Nick Cavendish-Pell after missing the cut at the major championship.
The 27-year-old player was assessed a two-stroke penalty during the opening round for arriving late to his tee time, a mistake that proved costly throughout the tournament. His initial score of 1-under-par 69 would have been a 67 without the penalty, which would have put him in a tie for the lead at that point.
Higgo then posted a 76 in his second round and failed to make the cut by just one stroke — a fate he would have avoided had it not been for the tardiness penalty.
Following his opening round, Higgo made several notable statements, including his admission that the penalty “wasn’t a surprise. I was late. I mean, my caddie was yelling at me to get to the tee.”
Television coverage from the first round showed Gaugert urging Higgo to move quickly from the practice green to the first tee at Aronimink Golf Club.
Higgo has claimed victory twice on the PGA Tour and three times on the DP World Tour. He will compete in this week’s CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas with Cavendish-Pell serving as his caddie. Cavendish-Pell was working with Higgo in 2021 when he captured his first PGA Tour victory at the Palmetto Championship.
