Journeys

‘I Could Have Imploded Just as Easily’

You lose so much in golf that you have to realise you can still have a good week without winning

By Garrick Higgo with Gabrielle Herzig

My dad loved the game. He taught me how to play when I was a child growing up in South Africa. When I was 9, my family made the 13-hour drive to Johannesburg to visit our newborn cousin. I can barely talk about what happened. My dad, Guillermo, my mom, Susan, my older brother, Michael, and my younger sister, Calis, and I were all in the car when another vehicle struck us. My father didn’t survive.

I got a letter from Gary Player, whom played the US Junior and lost to Matthew I’d met through my former swing Wolff in the semi-finals. University of coach and lifelong mentor, Cliff Bar- Nevada, Las Vegas offered me a full ride. nard. Gary’s mother died ● ● ● when he was young, too. GARRICK HIGGO I enjoyed college, but We developed a special AGE: 23 I was itching to get out bond. We call each other FROM: STELLENBOSCH, on tour. After one year, and talk about everything. SOUTH AFRICA I left UNLV to turn pro Before the 2016 US Ama- and moved back to South teur at Oakland Hills, where Gary won Africa to play on the Big Easy Tour, the 1972 PGA Championship, he talked a developmental tour. In my first event, me through every hole. Gary tells it like I missed the cut, but I didn’t quesit is. If he notices parts of my game that tion myself or my decision. I wanted need improvement, he’ll let me know. to be a pro no matter what. In my sec● ● ● ond event, I won. After my dad died, we moved to ● ● ● Stellenbosch near Cape Town. It’s I moved up to the Challenge Tour. similar to Napa Valley but with more Then COVID hit. We didn’t play again mountains. My siblings didn’t play until June 2020. It was a hard time for golf, but I became serious about it as a so many, but I focused on the positives: teenager. My dad was an excellent rug- I had a good practice set-up hitting by and cricket player. He was 6ft 10in. balls indoors with my TrackMan, and I I’m only 6ft, but I played rugby as a kid, got to spend time with my family who too. I made up for my lack of size by be- I’d missed while travelling. ing cheeky: I mixed creativity with a bit ● ● ● of trash talk. When I was 13, I went in The tours started back up, and for a tackle, and my elbow snapped I played the 2020 Portugal Open, outward. My mom said: “That’s it. a co-sanctioned event with the DP No more.” The recovery was so long, World Tour. I teased my agent, “Don’t I couldn’t play golf for a year. book a return flight home for me. I’m ● ● ● going to win,” and I did. The win got When I was 17, I became the No. 1 me straight on to the DP Tour. All of my amateur in South Africa. In 2017, I plans changed after that day. The DP Tour was a big level up. I missed eight cuts in six months. My driving accuracy and consistency needed a lot of work. When you win, your expectations go up, but you lose so much in golf that you have to realise you can still have a good week without winning. I’ve learned to manage my expectations with the reality of pro golf. ● ● ●

Then suddenly I had two European

Tour wins in three starts. Because of the pandemic, my family and my fiancee, Chandre, whom I’ve known since we were in primary school, didn’t see those wins. My world ranking shot up to 51, and I qualified for the 2021 PGA Championship at The Ocean Course. It was the most people I’ve ever played in front of. ● ● ●

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan gave me an exemption to play

in the Palmetto Championship. During the front nine on Sunday, I was just trying to hang on because I didn’t have my A-game off the tee. I like scrambling, and I made some great saves. On the 13th hole, I snap-hooked a drive, and it ricocheted back to the forward tees, but I managed to save par. There weren’t many leaderboards early in the round, so I didn’t know that things were crumbling for Chesson Hadley. The course looks simple, but if you hit the ball just a little off-line, there’s a lot of trouble. I could have imploded just as easily as the other guys, but I parred everything coming in. ● ● ●

I was warming up for a potential playoff when I was told I had won.

It was an incredible moment to secure my PGA Tour card. My mom was there. It was the first time in two years that she was able to watch me compete. During my press conference, Gary Player called me. He said: “I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited about anybody winning a golf tournament.” ● ● ●

After that win, I’ve settled into a life in Sea Island, Georgia, with Chan-

dre. She travels with me now, and I’m friends with the South Africans and Aussies on tour. After two years of living on the road, I’ve found where I’m supposed to be.