Golf told to make rule change after Garrick Higgo arrives late at the PGA Championship

“I thought afterwards there was a complete lack of accountability and responsibility in how he addressed this,“ Lavner said.

*“*He was clearly late. Shaun Micheel had already hit his shot down the opening hole while Garrick Higgo was making his way to the tee.

“You need to be there and be in the defined area as determined by the PGA rules committee at the exact starting time, which would be 7:18. Garrick Higgo was not, hence he was docked two shots.“

Then Hoggard chimed in with his opinion.

Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images

“It was such a surreal scenario. It looks closer to 10 seconds that he was late,“ he said.

*“*There has to be a cut off, I understand that, it could be one second, it could be 10 seconds, it could be 10 minutes. That part I understand.

*“*I spoke with Shaun Micheel who said that he had just been introduced and he was stepping to the tee and turned around and saw Higgo walking on to the tee. He did not realise anything was going on until Shaun Micheel has Higgo’s card as his playing companion and he was walking off, the official said add two. He said add two to what, I don’t understand what you are telling me here!

“I will say, I understand why this has to be a rule, but I feel like two strokes in that case is a little much. I feel like that is a bit stringent, maybe a bit too penal for what that was. It was 10 seconds. I am not absolving him responsibility or anyone else, I just feel like two is a lot, maybe one is a better option.“

Hoggard has missed the point completely here in my opinion. The amount of time that he was late is irrelevant. All that matters is whether or not he was at the tee on time, and he quite clearly was not.

Garrick Higgo ‘deserved’ punishment

“Apparently his caddie was yelling at him to get down there,“ Lavner said.

*“*It seems like Garrick Higgo deserved it. I am fine with two shots.

“You have one responsibility as a player, to show up on time in an area, at least by the tee.“

There is absolutely no excuse for turning up late to the tee for your tee-time.

Higgo failed to read the room with his post-round comments and he didn’t do any favors to the professional golfers who complain about being labelled as spoiled and entitled.

He is still only 27, and will undoubtedly learn as he gets older that taking accountability for his actions is not a choice, but an obligation if he is to succeed in life, let alone in golf.