Dear Linda,
We played Stableford format in our Club 9-holes kitty yesterday. Two players returned the best score (both had the same Stableford points). There have been arguments back and forth as to how to arrive at the winner.
Kindly advise how to resolve this impasse in this 9-holes kitty and also if it’s an 18-holes kitty.
Thank you.
Portharcourt, Nigeria
Dear Lou,
The manner in which a tie will be broken should be established in advance by the Committee and printed in the Terms of the Competition distributed to the players.
There is no set method for breaking a tie under the Rules of Golf; there are only suggested methods offered in the Official Guide.
The Terms of the Competition should state whether the competition will end in a tie (which is perfectly acceptable), or if there will be a playoff or a match of scorecards to determine the winner.
A playoff can be for any number of holes the Committee decides, or it can be a sudden death playoff. It can also be for a set number of holes followed by sudden death, should the players still be tied.
If the Committee decides to break the tie by matching scorecards, the method suggested in the Official Guide is to compare the scores for the last nine holes, the last six holes, the last three holes, and finally the last hole. (For an 18-hole competition, if this does not resolve the tie, you would make the same comparison for the first nine holes.) If there is still a tie, the Committee could call the competition a tie, or decide the winner by chance (e.g., flip a coin). For more details, please read the Official Guide, Part III, Competitions, 5A (6).
I cannot emphasize enough that the procedure for settling a tie be established and published prior to the start of the competition.
Linda
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