Garrick Higgo Bio
Garrick Higgo is a South African professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour, the European Tour, and the Sunshine Tour. He has won three times on the European Tour, including the 2020 Open de Portugal, the 2021 Gran Canaria Lopesan Open, and the 2021 Canary Islands Championship. Higgo won his first PGA Tour title in his second start at the Palmetto Championship and added a second PGA Tour victory in 2025 at the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic.
Born in Johannesburg and now based in Stellenbosch, Higgo has emerged as one of South Africa’s most promising players of his generation. He turned professional in 2019 and, within just a few seasons, built a multi-tour resume that spans Europe, Africa, and the United States.
Early Life and Background
Garrick Higgo was born on 12 May 1999 in Johannesburg, South Africa, to parents Susan and Michael Higgo. He grew up with two siblings, Calista and Michael, in a household that introduced him to the game at an early age. Higgo started playing golf socially with his father as a young child and quickly developed a strong passion for the sport.
Tragedy struck the family in 2008, when Higgo was nine years old, and his father died in a car crash. The loss shaped his focus and resolve on the course. Despite the difficulty, Higgo continued to develop as a player, attending Paul Roos Gymnasium in the town of Stellenbosch, where he balanced his education with competitive golf.
Higgo’s development was supported by mentorship from South African golf legend Gary Player, who has remained a guiding figure throughout his career. Higgo often meets with Player to discuss course management and strategy, an unusual level of access for a young professional.
Path to Professional Golf
After finishing high school at Paul Roos Gymnasium, Higgo enrolled at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2017 to play college golf in the United States. He spent two years with the Rebels program before turning professional during his sophomore year in 2019.
That decision marked the start of a fast-moving professional career. Higgo joined the Sunshine Tour and the Challenge Tour, the traditional development paths for South African golfers aiming at the European Tour. In his first full season, he won twice on the Sunshine Tour, captured the 2019–20 Sunshine Tour Rookie of the Year award, and recorded a runner-up finish at the Challenge Tour co-sanctioned Cape Town Open.
His form on the Challenge Tour earned him a spot at the European Tour Qualifying School, and a made cut there secured him a place on the Challenge Tour for the 2020 season. Within months, he broke through on the larger European Tour stage.
Garrick Higgo Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
Higgo’s first full professional season on the Sunshine Tour produced two wins, at the Sun City Challenge and the Tour Championship, along with a runner-up finish at the Cape Town Open. He finished sixth on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit for the 2019–20 season, an impressive start for a teenager.
In September 2020, at the Open de Portugal, a dual-ranking event on the European and Challenge tours, Higgo shot a bogey-free final round of 65 to win by one stroke. The victory earned him a one-year exemption on the European Tour and signaled his arrival at the game’s higher level.
European Tour Breakthrough (2020–2021)
In April 2021, Higgo secured his second European Tour title at the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open, finishing with an aggregate score of 255 to beat the previous tournament record of 257 set by Andy Sullivan in 2020. Two weeks later, he won again in the Canary Islands, this time at the Canary Islands Championship, closing with a 257 total to win by six shots over Maverick Antcliff.
Those back-to-back wins pushed his European Tour tally to three and pushed him into the world’s top 50. They also established him as one of the most consistent young performers on tour during the spring of 2021.
PGA Tour Breakthrough (2021)
In June 2021, Higgo won the PGA Tour’s Palmetto Championship in South Carolina by one stroke. The title came in only his second PGA Tour start and earned him more than $1,300,000, along with PGA Tour membership through the end of the 2023 season.
The Palmetto victory remains the quickest any South African has reached the PGA Tour winner’s circle in recent memory, and it cemented Higgo’s reputation as a rising global player.
PGA Tour Second Win (2025)
In April 2025, Higgo shot a 14-under 274 to win the Corales Puntacana Championship in the Dominican Republic. It was his second PGA Tour title and secured him a two-year exemption on tour. Austin Gaugert was on the bag as his caddie for that win.
Driving Style and Strengths
Higgo is known for a steady, ball-striking style that travels well from course to course. He is comfortable shaping shots both ways, hits a reliable iron game, and shows a calm temperament under pressure, qualities that have served him well on tropical resort layouts such as the Corales Puntacana course and the Canary Islands venues.
Notable Events and Milestones
Signature moments include his European Tour hat-trick in 2020 and 2021, his record-setting Gran Canaria Lopesan Open win, and his PGA Tour breakthrough at the 2021 Palmetto Championship in just his second start. He reached a career-high Official World Golf Ranking of 38 in June 2021.
Garrick Higgo Career Wins
Garrick Higgo has built a multi-tour trophy cabinet that spans three continents. He has recorded eight professional wins in total, with his biggest titles coming on the European Tour and the PGA Tour.
European Tour Highlights
Higgo has won three times on the European Tour, beginning with the 2020 Open de Portugal. He followed that with two wins in the Canary Islands during 2021, the Gran Canaria Lopesan Open and the Canary Islands Championship, the latter won by six shots. Together, those victories helped him climb into the world’s top 40.
PGA Tour Highlights
Higgo has won twice on the PGA Tour. His first came at the 2021 Palmetto Championship in only his second career start, and his second came at the 2025 Corales Puntacana Championship, where a 14-under total earned him a two-year tour exemption.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond his top-flight wins, Higgo has collected two Sunshine Tour titles, one Challenge Tour victory, and one Big Easy Tour title, including the Sun City Challenge and the Sunshine Tour season-ending Tour Championship during his rookie year.
| Series | Wins | Top Tens | Poles |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGA Tour | 2 | — | — |
| European Tour | 3 | — | — |
| Sunshine Tour | 2 | — | — |
| Challenge Tour | 1 | — | — |
| Big Easy Tour | 1 | — | — |
Garrick Higgo Family
Family Background and Golf Lineage
Garrick Higgo was raised in Johannesburg by his parents, Susan and Michael Higgo, alongside his siblings Calista and Michael. His father introduced him to golf at a young age, and that early bond with the game remained central to his identity even after his father’s death in 2008. He later found another mentor in South African great Gary Player, who has advised him on course strategy throughout his career.
Personal Life
Higgo lives in Stellenbosch, in the Western Cape province of South Africa. He married Chandre Janeke in 2023, and the couple are based in the same university town where Higgo attended high school.
2025 Season Performance
Higgo’s 2025 campaign was defined by his victory at the Corales Puntacana Championship in April, where a closing 14-under total delivered his second PGA Tour title and a two-year tour exemption. The win also signaled a return to form after several leaner seasons since his 2021 breakthrough, and re-established him as a consistent presence on leaderboards in the Americas.
Outside of his win, Higgo logged additional made cuts across the PGA Tour schedule and used the Corales momentum to push back toward the top half of the rankings. He also made an appearance at the 2025 PGA Championship, where a late arrival to his opening tee time resulted in a two-stroke penalty, and he ultimately missed the cut by one stroke. After the PGA Championship, he parted ways with caddie Austin Gaugert.
Heading into the back half of the 2025 season and the early 2026 events, Higgo’s outlook is anchored by his Corales victory and his multi-tour status. With PGA Tour, European Tour, and Sunshine Tour membership, he continues to split time between the circuits as he looks to add to his win total.
