Garrick Higgo has split with caddie Austin Gaugert after a penalty for being late for his tee time contributed to him missing the cut at the US PGA Championship.

Higgo, 27, received a two-stroke penalty for tardiness during the first round at Aronimink last week.

Tournament officials said Higgo was “not within the area defined as the starting point at his starting time”.

After the penalty cost him the chance to tie the lead at 67 in the first round, the South African missed the cut by a single shot.

England’s Aaron Rai went on to win the US PGA, becoming the first Englishman to do so in 107 years.

Higgo’s agent told Golfweek that the two-time PGA Tour winner has re-hired his former caddie Nick Cavendish-Pell, with whom he won his first title on the tour in 2021 at the Palmetto Championship.

Cavendish-Pell will join Higgo for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in Texas this week.

After the first round at Aronimink last week, Higgo said that his penalty “wasn’t a surprise. I was late. I mean, my caddie was yelling at me to get to the tee”.

Broadcast footage captured Gaugert calling for Higgo to hurry up from the practice green to the first tee.

At the end of his round Higgo was seen discussing his case in the clubhouse with the PGA of America, but the penalty was not overturned.