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Caddie fired after PGA starting-time gaffe finds new job

By Thomson Reuters May 29, 2026 | 11:21 AM

The caddie who was fired after a late tee-time arrival at the PGA Championship is on a ​new bag this week.

Austin Gaugert gained ‌notoriety when Garrick Higgo was a minute late to start his first round at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia two weeks ago.

Higgo ‌was ​penalized two strokes and ⁠wound up missing the ⁠36-hole cut at the major by just one shot. He fired Gaugert the following Monday and brought back former ​caddie Nick Cavendish-Pell.

Gaugert shouldered the responsibility for the controversial penalty following his ⁠dismissal.

“As a caddie, you ⁠try to do everything you ​can to prepare your player for competition and ​I fell short of that,” he ‌wrote on Instagram. “Garrick was understanding throughout the situation and handled it with professionalism and class. This has happened to players ⁠before and will again. Garrick handled a difficult situation with grace, and I wish him ⁠nothing but ‌success moving forward.”

Gaugert has moved ⁠forward. He is caddying this ​week ‌for Dylan Wu at the ​PGA Tour’s ⁠Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas.

Wu, who missed the cut in his five previous events, opened with an even-par 70 at Colonial Country Club on Thursday.

–Field ​Level Media