Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Ask Linda #864-Unsigned card


Hello Ms. Miller,

I am a 12-year-old who plays golf with the local junior golf association (we follow USGA rules).
During my last tournament there was a question regarding one of my shots, AFTER we arrived at the table to return our scorecards. The question was whether I was supposed to receive one or two penalty strokes for a violation in a hazard. The committee felt they needed to double check the rules and get back to us.

While discussing the tournament with my mom, I realized I MAY NOT HAVE signed my card. I know I signed the other player's card, but I think I left mine unsigned because no one came to a decision on my shot. I know an unsigned card would disqualify me any other time and I immediately expressed to my mom that I am disqualified for not signing. I could not find this in the rules. What are your thoughts?

Thank you &
Sincerely,
Lou from North Carolina

Dear Lou,

It is my feeling that you should not be disqualified for failing to sign your card in these circumstances. You brought the matter to the attention of the Committee at the scorer’s table, and were told that they needed to research the issue before making a decision. You should not sign a scorecard when the question of how many penalty strokes you incurred on a particular hole is yet to be decided.

If the Committee is able to find the answer in a reasonable amount of time, you should be asked to wait in the scoring area. If no knowledgeable authority is available, and the delay will be considerable, the Committee should explain what you need to do in the interim.

If you sign a scorecard with a score for a hole that is lower than what you shot, you will be disqualified; if you sign for a score on a hole that is higher than what you took, the score stands. You are entitled to a timely decision from the Committee, and your signature should be withheld until the Committee resolves the matter.  

Linda
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