What's happened
Garrick Higgo has been penalized two strokes for arriving late to his tee time at Aronimink, but has recovered with a 1-under 69. Other notable round developments include Bryson DeChambeau’s struggles and Stephen Jaeger’s early lead.
What's behind the headline?
Key developments
- Higgo has been penalized two strokes for a late start but has rebounded to shoot 1-under in round one.
- DeChambeau has endured a chaotic morning, including a ball ending up on a hospitality tent stairway and a multiple-bogey front nine.
- Stephen Jaeger has taken an early lead after a strong front-nine score.
Implications
- Pace-of-play penalties are visible in live play and could influence group dynamics and group speed expectations in later rounds.
- The unfolding round list includes LIV-branded players, highlighting ongoing interest in cross-pircuit competition.
Outlook
- Higgo’s start shows resilience under penalty pressure; expect scrutiny of pace rules to remain a talking point as the weekend progresses.
How we got here
Higgo has faced a timing penalty under the PGA Tour’s updated pace-of-play rules, which penalize late starts. The event at Aronimink Golf Club is part of the PGA Championship schedule, drawing multiple big-name players and high audience attention.
Our analysis
New York Post: Justin Terranova, 'Garrick Higgo got off to the worst start imaginable... penalized two strokes' (Thu, 14 May 2026); AP News: 'Higgo has arrived on the first tee... penalties' (Thu, 14 May 2026); NY Post: Michael Blinn, 'The LIV Golf star sent his tee shot...' (Thu, 14 May 2026)
Go deeper
- Will Higgo's penalty affect his focus for the weekend?
- Which players are benefiting from the pace-of-play controversy?
- How is the crowd reacting to DeChambeau's early troubles?
More on these topics
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Aronimink Golf Club - Golf club
Aronimink Golf Club is a private country club in the eastern United States, located in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, a suburb west of Philadelphia. Its championship layout is consistently rated among the nation's top golf courses.
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Garrick Higgo - South African golfer
Garrick Higgo is a South African professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour, European Tour and the Sunshine Tour. He has won three times on the European Tour, winning the 2020 Open de Portugal and the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open as well as the
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Bryson DeChambeau - American professional golfer
Bryson James Aldrich DeChambeau is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. In 2015, he became the fifth player in history to win both the NCAA Division I championship and the U.S. Amateur in the same year.
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PGA Championship - Sports association
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the Professional Golfers' Association of America. It is one of the four major championships in professional golf.