Garrick Higgo of South Africa plays his tee shoot on the 18th hole during the first round of the Valero Texas Open at TPC San Antonio The 24-year-old Garrick Higgo has played 11 events on the PGA Tour in 2024, and has one top-30 finish to his name in that time. Picture: Raj Mehta/Getty Images/AFP
Garrick Higgo will attempt to turn things around at the Zurich Classic starting on Thursday, in what has been a season to forget on the US PGA Tour for the young South African.
The 24-year-old has played 11 events on the PGA Tour in 2024, and has one top-30 finish to his name in that time. A tie for 16th at the Cognizant Classic in the first week of March is Higgo’s highlight for the season so far.
Since the Cognizant Classic, Higgo withdrew from The Players Championship with a wrist injury, finished 69th and 33rd in the two events in Texas and missed the cut at the Corales Puntacana Championship last week.
Having reached a career-high 38th in the world rankings in 2021, the Southpaw has now plummeted to 182nd.
Higgo had a phenomenal start to his career since turning professional in 2019. He won three times on the DP World Tour (DPWT) and claimed victory in just his second US PGA Tour event three years ago. He has also won twice on the Sunshine Tour.
In fact, in 2021, Higgo won his second DPWT event in April, his third in May and followed that with his first PGA Tour win in June. That meant he had tasted victory in three successive months as he made the most of an incredible hot streak.
Interestingly, SA golf legend Gary Player has always been a strong supporter of Higgo after playing with the youngster for the first time when he was nine-years-old.
Back to the Zurich Classic, the team event could provide just the right change of setting for Higgo as it employs a two-player team format. Higgo will be teaming up with New Zealand’s Ryan Fox.
The 37-year-old Fox, like Higgo, is a big hitter and their length off the tee could make them a good combination. Fox actually has more missed cuts in 2024 than Higgo, as he has missed out on weekend play on five occasions.
On paper it seems the pair have little form to suggest they will do well this week, but the team format in golf always serves up a few surprises - and the duo will be hoping they can be one of those shocks.
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