Austin Gaugert, dismissed after a two-stroke penalty during the PGA Championship, will caddie for Dylan Wu in the opening round of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club this weekend.
Austin Gaugert didn’t have long to sit with what happened at the PGA Championship.
After being dismissed by Garrick Higgo following a costly two-stroke penalty in the first round, the PGA veteran caddie quickly found another spot on the bag. This weekend at the Charles Schwab Challenge, Gaugert will step in to caddie for Dylan Wu during the opening round at Colonial Country Club.
The timeline matters. Gaugert’s return comes right after reports that. as the PGA Championship first round began. he was unable to prevent Higgo’s late arrival. That delay led directly to the two-stroke penalty. a swing that ultimately played a role in Higgo missing the cut at Aronimink—setting the stage for the professional split.
In a candid social media post, Gaugert acknowledged his role in the incident and took full responsibility for the miscommunication. He wrote that he fell short on his job heading into competition.
“As a caddie. you try to do everything you can to prepare your player for competition and I fell short of that. Garrick was understanding throughout the situation and handled it with professionalism and class. This has happened to players before and will again. Garrick handled this difficult situation with grace, and I wish him nothing but success moving forward. After working with Garrick and finding the highest success in caddying. Garrick has become a better friend to me than just a boss. I will always be grateful for that.”.
Gaugert’s next assignment arrives under a familiar pressure: the Charles Schwab Challenge tees off on May 28 and runs through May 31 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
For Wu, the opening round will be an immediate test of continuity. For Gaugert, it’s a chance to move forward quickly—without pretending the PGA Championship moment didn’t happen. The fact that he’s already back in position also shows how fast golf’s jobs can change once a single costly error shifts momentum.
Austin Gaugert Dylan Wu Charles Schwab Challenge Colonial Country Club Garrick Higgo PGA Championship Aronimink caddie
So they just… fired him and then instantly rehired him? Golf is wild.
I didn’t even know caddie stuff could get you dismissed that fast. Sounds like it was mostly miscommunication but also somehow still the caddie’s fault??
Wait, the delay before the PGA round caused the two-stroke penalty? I thought penalties were like for rules violations, not scheduling. Either way, Wu better watch his bag dude’s timing.
This reminds me of when my cousin tried to start early and got in trouble, like the whole world should’ve been more organized. If Higgo handled it professionally then why are we acting like everyone didn’t mess up? Also Colonial is in Texas right, so hopefully it fixes the luck or whatever.