So a player initials his scorecard and someone in his group apparantly changes the total before turning it into scoring central. The error is not noticed until the scoreport is brought out and all scores are announced.

How should this be handled? The player initialled the correct score but it was changed by someone prior to being turned in. Does benefit of the doubt go to the player, or is he/she still responsible even after initialing to see that the initialled score is what's physically handed to the score-checkers?

that's a tough one, but I would go with benefit of the doubt. that's why I check and re-check the card before it is handed in.

This one sucks, but always go to the rule book:

803.04 F. All players are responsible for returning their scorecards within 25 minutes after the completion of a round. Failure to do so shall result in the assessment of two penalty throws, without a warning, to each player listed on the late scorecard.

The rules go on further to state if it is detected that the score was in error there is a two strokes penality.

However, it appears to me that there is another problem here and that is the potential for cheating. When I TD or assist TD, as I add scores I will always call the player over and discuss with them what had happened. This will catch the mistake long for payout. If the player and a majority of the card agree the card was changed, I will then have try to determine if the player that changed the score was trying to help or cheating. BUT, the rule says it is ALL the players responsibility to turn the card in, no benefit could be given to the player, it MUST be a majority of the group.

Not knowing the complete circumstances, if the card had been counted and initialed by the group, and then discovered the scores were changed by whom ever handed it in...that's where the problem is. If the rest of the card (majority) said it had been changed afterwards, I would look at it as if it were cheating and demand explaintion as to why it had been changed after it had been initialed by the players. I've only TD'd a dozen or so events, but I've never seen an entire group troup up to to hand in the score card...it's always one person from that card. So again, I'd go for benefit of the doubt in this case, and possibly seek to furthur action against the person who changed the scores.

Another good reason why everyone on a card should keep a record of everyone's score. If you do this, after the round, all the cards are checked against the "official" scorecard. If there is some pencil whipping between then and the turning in of the card, it will become very apparent to all those on the card if they check the round score after posting, and will be _very_ apparent to the one who got pencil whipped! If this happens, then each one of the group can produce their record of the round for each player, and it would then be very apparent that there was a change.

Be careful though regarding any sanctions against the player that turned it in, because all you absolutely know is that the score total was changed between the time the card was checked by the group, and the card was processed for round score. The card could have gone through several hands in that process, or if the cards are not "protected" during the process, someone unknown could have done the pencil whipping.

Regardless of assignation of guilt, this situation should be noted in the TD report, so that, if it happens again in another tournament, it can be examined to see if there is a common link/player/TD/volunteer in both instances.

I agree with you, very rarely have I seen a whole group turn a card in, however, that does not reduce the responsibility of the whole card for it being turned in. Simply put, it is the rule. This is very quickly demonstrated that it is the group responsibility when the player carrying the card, jumps in their car, drives down to the local hamburger joint and then remembers the card is not turned in and the whole card is penalized. The remainder of the group made the decision to allow someone to turn the card in and the group as a whole was punished for it.

I still disagree with the benefit of the doubt argument. It must be a group majority. How can you go with a player saying somene changed the card without someone else in the group backing them up?


I've only TD'd a dozen or so events, but I've never seen an entire group troup up to to hand in the score card...it's always one person from that card. So again, I'd go for benefit of the doubt in this case, and possibly seek to furthur action against the person who changed the scores.