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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