By Marcela Smith
Even if you don’t follow the PGA Tour closely, you likely caught wind of Jordan Spieth’s disqualification due to signing an incorrect scorecard at the Genesis Invitational last month. Social media buzzed with outrage, arguing that he should not face consequences for an honest mistake. This controversy raises the question: Can you be disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard? And should you?
At first glance, jotting down a three instead of a four might seem trivial, especially with televised footage of the player’s strokes. Honest mistakes happen to everyone, right? While this is true, let’s delve into why maintaining accurate scorekeeping is crucial in golf, and how
you can avoid getting the big “DQ” yourself.
The rules of golf actually state that players are “expected to self-regulate their actions and scorekeeping.” This unique sport makes players responsible for upholding the rules and etiquette of the game, even when no one is watching. Personal integrity and fair play foster a culture of respect and sportsmanship that the sport is known for.
The principle of honor in golf extends beyond the competition itself, shaping behavior of players both on and off the course. I’m sure you’ve seen Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm and many other tour professionals call in a rules official when they suspected their ball may have moved (even though no one else would have seen it). There are countless other examples each and every week of professional golfers calling penalties on themselves because it’s the right thing to do. Quite the opposite of basketball when the players are trying to get away with every foul they can.
Let’s say you’re playing in an individual, 18 hole stroke play competitive round. You must start and complete each of the 18 holes, which means you must “hole-out” on every single hole. You must record on a paper (or electronic) scorecard an accurate score for each hole. If you submit your scorecard with a score for a hole that is higher than your actual score for that hole, that higher score will stand as your score. If you submit a score for a hole that is lower than your actual score for that hole, you will join Jordan Spieth at Dairy Queen (sorry, that’s bad golf rules humor for being disqualified).
I’ve heard from quite a few newer players who have been upset because they are asked by another person in their group what score they had on a previous hole. It may feel a little too personal at first, but for each round you play under the USGA Rules of Golf, you must have a “marker”. The marker is responsible for entering and certifying a player’s score. Your marker may be another player, just not your parter in a four ball (or partner) format. This is why you can’t post a score when you played your round solo.
Players used to be required to total their scorecards before signing and submitting them, and they were subject to disqualification if the math was wrong, but that’s no longer the case. You can simply leave the totals for the front and back nines, and the overall score blank. If you do total them and make a math error, there’s no longer a penalty for that.
During your round, it’s helpful if two of your four players are considered the markers for your foursome, with one scorecard on each golf cart. After each hole is completed, the players should each announce their score for that hole. It’s best to drive forward to the next teeing area, park, and then write down the four scores, so that you’re not delaying the next group from hitting their approach shots to the green. When you’re in a competition, stress levels are a little more heightened, and sometimes players will forget their score. One suggestion to prevent that would be to announce what you’re lying as soon as you reach the putting green. Then just add your putts to that number. This is especially helpful when you’re newer to golf and your scores are higher. Check out several more tips on how to handle ruling disagreements in this SCGA article.
To answer all those Negative Nellies on social media saying how awful the USGA is for being so harsh about requiring an accurate scorecard, I would say this: If you eliminate this rule, and let all inaccuracies on scorecards be brushed off as “human error” consider the potential
exploitation. Golf is unique because it’s played on a playing field much larger than a football, soccer or baseball filed, which means there could never be enough referees to catch all the “fouls” or “rules violations." A cornerstone of golf is personal integrity, so signing for an accurate scorecard remains a key tradition of the game.