Hi Linda,
Is there a penalty if someone shows up late for her tee time in a tournament?
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
There certainly is, Lulu. Players who do not arrive at the first tee at their assigned time are disqualified [Rule 6-3].
The Committee may soften that blow by stating, in the conditions of the competition, that players who arrive within five minutes of their assigned time will be permitted to compete. In match play, the penalty under this condition is loss of the first hole. In stroke play, the penalty is two strokes [Rule 6-3, Note].
Please note that all players in the group must be on time. Consider three players assigned a 9:00 a.m. start time. Two arrive at 9 and tee off. The third arrives at 9:02, just in time to tee off after the first two players. That third player is disqualified. If the 5-minute condition were in effect, then that third player would start her round with a two-stroke or loss-of-hole penalty.
The Committee is allowed to waive the disqualification penalty in exceptional circumstances. If a player would have arrived on time if she didn’t have to stop at the scene of an accident to provide medical assistance or make a statement to the police, that would qualify as “exceptional.” However, such misfortunes as getting lost, getting stuck in traffic, being held up by an accident, or your car breaking down are not acceptable excuses [Decision 6-3a/1.5].
Always allow plenty of time to get to your tournament. If you arrive too early, you can always practice, socialize, or just relax. If you arrive late, you will lose your opportunity to compete.
Linda
Copyright © 2011 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
