The South African’s comeback from injury has him leading in Mississippi — and it’s about more than just golf.

Garrick Higgo is leading the Sanderson Farms Championship at 13-under, one shot clear of Eric Cole and Taylor Montgomery heading into the weekend. But the real story isn’t the leaderboard — it’s that he’s walking without wincing. For a 25-year-old South African who won at Puntacana in April and thought his season might be over by May, that’s the victory that matters most.

When Walking Hurts More Than Swinging

After his win at Corales Puntacana Championship (the week after the Masters), Higgo developed a labrum injury in his hip that turned the rest of his season into a painful slog. The weird part? It didn’t hurt during his swing. It hurt when he walked. Then the next day, it would pinch even worse. Imagine being a professional golfer where the walking is what’s killing you, not the actual golf.

The Surgery He Didn’t Have

Higgo considered going under the knife after the regular season ended, but decided to get clever instead. He changed his entire fitness routine — lifting less, training smarter. Now he rates his pain at 1 out of 10, though he still fatigues faster than he’d like. It’s working well enough that he fired a 6-under 66 on Friday, including three straight birdies late in his round.

No Pressure, Just Freedom

Here’s the luxury Higgo has that most of this field doesn’t: he’s already locked in for 2026. That Puntacana win gave him his Tour card and a spot in THE PLAYERS Championship. While guys like Taylor Montgomery (who needs a top-100 FedExCup finish to keep their cards) are grinding with everything on the line, Higgo gets to play free golf. Sometimes that’s when the best stuff happens.

Watching Greatness Up Close

Two weeks ago at the Procore Championship, Higgo played in the final group with Scottie Scheffler and tied for seventh. He called it an eye-opener, watching the world’s No. 1 operate. “I couldn’t tell you how much I learned, but I learned so much just by watching,” Higgo said. “He’s an inspiration for all of us.” Now he’s carrying that lesson into the weekend with a chance to add another win to his resume.

The Weekend Ahead

Higgo tees it up Saturday with a one-shot lead and a hip that’s finally cooperating. Eric Cole is chasing his first PGA Tour win with 17 birdies through two rounds. Montgomery made nine birdies in a 10-hole stretch on Friday. The leaderboard is stacked with hungry players, but the South African with the surgically-avoided hip might just have the secret weapon: nothing left to lose.