Scorecard Requirements

Chris Wallace, R&A Rules manager, reflects on the consequences of Andy Sullivan’s concentration lapse after the second round of the Dubai Desert Classic, when he signed for a wrong score.

Sullivan signed for two fours on the 15th and 16th holes when he had actually made a three on 15 and a five on 16. Despite the total number of strokes being the same, Sullivan had signed for a lower score for the 15th hole than he had actually taken, and as he had left the recording area and officially submitted his card to the committee, he was disqualified for signing for a wrong score.

In stroke play, players should always check their scorecards and have any mistakes corrected before submitting them. If there is a mistake, such as a wrong score for a hole, a player can ask their marker or the committee to correct it up until the time that it is officially returned. Once it has been returned, it is the committee’s responsibility to make sure it bears the player’s name and handicap (in net competitions), the