PGA Tour introduces new law designed to stop DQs

The rules of golf have seen a significant change, particularly for the men’s elite game, with a new revision that allows players a 15-minute buffer to return to the scoring area and correct a scorecard without facing disqualification. This adjustment aims to address one of the sport’s more contentious rules, which previously saw players disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard after leaving the scoring area.

The update has been met with positive feedback from PGA Tour professionals. Michael Kim, a PGA Tour player, confirmed the news on X and praised the change, stating, “Oh wow. Just announced a rule change where even if you leave the scoring area, you get a 15 minute buffer window to make any changes to your score without getting DQ. I think it’s way better this way. Hopefully no more scorecard DQs in the future.” Kim shared further details from a document indicating that the rule will be implemented across various men’s professional tours, including the PGA Tour, PGA Tour Champions, Korn Ferry Tour, and PGA Tour Americas, starting the week of June 17-23. The DP World Tour will also adopt this change.

Another PGA Tour player, Andrew Putnam, questioned the necessity of players keeping their own scores, noting on X, “Such a dumb rule. In what other sport do players keep their scores?! We all have walking scorers with every group and every shot is calculated to the yard. Cmonnn people.”

Ryan French, who runs the popular X account Monday Q Info, suggested that a recent high-profile disqualification may have influenced the change. He remarked, “Thousands of players sign incorrect score cards across the world …..No rule change. Jordan Spieth does it once in a signature event….rule changes 6 weeks later. (I think it is a good rule change, just saying Jordan’s DQ helped the process).”

French was referring to an incident in February at the Genesis Invitational where three-time Major winner Jordan Spieth was disqualified after signing for a 72 instead of a 73, having mistakenly recorded a par instead of a bogey on the par-3 fourth hole. After leaving the scoring area, Spieth was disqualified when the error was discovered. Reflecting on the incident, Spieth wrote on X: “Today, I signed for an incorrect scorecard and stepped out of the scoring area, after thinking I went through all procedures to make sure it was correct. Rules are rules, and I take full responsibility.”

With this new safeguard, errors of this kind might become less frequent, reducing the likelihood of disqualifications due to incorrect scorecards and allowing players more flexibility in ensuring their scores are accurate.