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PGA Tour pro Garrick Higgo had only recently split up with his former caddie. He needed someone else to carry his bag. Came in Austin Gaugert, who’d also split with his former partner, Ryan Moore, and was freelancing. Austin didn’t need money and was hesitant to take up Higgo’s offer. But that changed. Here’s the story behind it. Austin Gaugert, a native of Lake Geneva, has been caddying for a while. And one of the guys he did it for was Moore, who decided he needed to take a break. Gaugert now had to look for another job, but instead of settling down with one guy, he started freelancing. He caddied for Dylan Wu on KFT, Sami Valimaki at the WM Phoenix Open, then Patrick Rodgers, whose caddie was taking a break following an injury. Rodgers’ caddie eventually returned. But by this time, Gaugert’s pocket was full of money. He didn’t need a job, so he went on ski trips with his dad and brother, Alex Gaugert. That’s when Alex received a message from Higgo, who needed a caddie. Alex suggested his brother, to which Higgo replied, “I’ll take him.” Austin hesitated still, but agreed anyway. The two decided to give their partnership a three-week trial, went on to finish 3rd in Savannah. At that time, Gaugert thought, “Maybe he’s really good.” Then, Higgo won the 2025 Corales Puntacana Championship. Talking about the same during a podcast appearance, Gaugert said, “Probably one of the best feelings in the world [being on the bag of a champion],” and “I want to make sure I keep this job. It’s paying pretty good.” We understand. That’s when they knew this would work out for them. Since Higgo’s second Tour win, the pro has posted three top-10s and is currently leading the race to win the 2025 World Wide Technology Championship. If that happens, it’d be Higgo’s third Tour win. Or, in Gaugert’s case, as he explains, “I’ve been telling people I’ve had maybe one of the greatest seasons of unemployment.” Higgo’s 2025 resume tells us that much. Nonetheless, now that you know how they came together, here’s an extra bit of a look into Gaugert’s career and personal life. Read Top Stories First From EssentiallySports Click here and check box next to EssentiallySports Austin Gaugert is a man of many talents Austin Gaugert pursued his passion for sports management at Valparaiso University, where he earned his Master’s in Business, Marketing, and Sports Management from 2009 – 2013. As a senior, he was actively involved with the Men’s Golf Team. But then came his professional life. He started working in golf back in 2013 as an Honor Caddy at Interlachen Country Club. From there, as per his LinkedIn, he moved up quickly, becoming an Assistant Golf Professional at Northmoor Country Club in 2014. By early 2016, Austin took on a role at Crane Lakes Golf Course. It was a pretty short stint, however. Crane Lakes Golf Course. In 2017, he landed a job as an Assistant Golf Professional at Blackhawk Country Club. Now, though, the world knows him better as a PGA Tour caddie. But one thing that caught our eyes is his private life as well. Often, you’d see him showing off his family life. For example, during the 2023 Christmas, the guy updated his Insta profile with a post saying, “akcuculi 2023🎄A Grand Christmas with the fam!” and added a clip of the members enjoying a holiday moment. Or, skiing with his friend. In a post dated to 2019, Gaugert wrote, “Had a quick 3 days of R & R for a pre-bachelor party for Jeremy. Just trying to get some quads like Saquon.” So, yes, Garrick Higgo’s caddie, Austin Gaugert, has enjoyed plenty of experiences.
