Professional golfers will now have 15 minutes after turning in their scorecard to correct any errors on it, even if they have left the scoring area.
The decision comes after Jordan Spieth was disqualified for signing an erroneous scorecard at the Genesis Invitational in February.
2
Previously, golfers were automatically disqualified from a tournament if they submitted an incorrect scorecard to the referee.
Now, the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and all other major golf tours will give their golfers a grace period to avoid this from happening.
American star Spieth was the latest player to fall foul of the old rule when he was disqualified during the second round of the Genesis Championship earlier this year.
The scorecard he handed to Los Angeles officials said he made par on a hole when he actually made bogey.
Spieth allegedly left the scoring hut so quickly because he was running to the bathroom.
“The rules are the rules and I take full responsibility,” Spieth wrote on social media at the time. “I love this tournament and golf course as much as anyone on the PGA Tour, so it's hard not to be playing this weekend.”
He was disqualified on the spot, but under the new rules he now has 15 minutes to realise his mistake and make the necessary changes.
The PGA Tour officially announced the rule change on Tuesday, with the Travelers Championship set to begin on Thursday.
2
“The new amendment will allow PGA Tour players to correct errors on their scorecards within 15 minutes, even if they have left the designated scoring area,” the PGA Tour said in a statement.
“The change, announced in a memo sent to tour members Tuesday morning, is designed to minimize penalties or disqualifications associated with scorecard errors. The PGA Tour, in collaboration with the USGA, R&A and DP World Tour, has revised the definition of 'scorecard return time.'
“Generally speaking, all players will now have 15 minutes to correct mistakes that would previously have resulted in a penalty or disqualification. This includes:
- If a scorecard is verified in the scoring system and the player has left the scoring area, the player may return within 15 minutes of verification to correct the error.
- If a player leaves the scoring area and discovers an error before the scoring system verifies the scorecard, the player may return to correct the error within 15 minutes of the scoring official's discovery.
- If a player is in the scoring area when the 15 minute time expires, their scorecard is considered “returned” when they leave the scoring area.
The memo states: “On all of our tours and other major golf organizations, once a player leaves the designated scoring area, his scorecard is considered 'returned' to the committee… We are pleased to announce that the 'return of scorecards' policy has been revised to now provide a player with 15 minutes to correct an error on his scorecard, even after he has left the scoring area.”
“Exceptions may be made when internal restrictions within the competition limit a player’s correction time to 15 minutes, such as when kickoff times are announced after elimination rounds, to start a playoff game or after a game has concluded.
“Jordan Spieth was disqualified from the second round of the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club for signing an incorrect scorecard. Spieth signed a “3” on the par-3 fourth hole for a 72 in the second round, but he actually scored a 4 on the hole for a 73.
“Spieth left the scoring area and was unable to correct his error. Under the revised rules, Spieth can correct his error as long as he returns within 15 minutes.
“The rule change will take effect immediately on the PGA Tour, PGA Champions Tour, Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour of the Americas (week of June 17-23). The DP World Tour will also implement the change.”
The Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Connecticut is live on talkSPORT 2 this week.
Spieth is among a field of players in the Signature Tournament that also includes Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele, among others.
