PINEHURST, N.C. — It would be tempting to refer to a change in scorecard procedure as the “Jordan Rule,” just because Jordan Spieth was the most recent example. Players now have an additional 15 minutes to correct their scorecard before it is considered returned.
Players were informed of the change at the US Open. The USGA adopted the revised definition of when a card is “returned” at the US Women’s Open two weeks earlier. It will now come into effect on most major tours this week.
The PGA Tour said the goal was to “minimize penalties or disqualifications related to scorecard errors.”
Spieth was at Pinehurst No. 2 on Sunday before the US Open. He said Scott Langley, USGA director of player relations, approached him and said, “This is not your fault. But this is what we are doing here.”
Previously, the score card was considered “returned” when the player left the scoring area.
Spieth was battling stomach problems at Riviera when he made double bogey on the final hole for a 73, ran up the hill to score, signed his card and ran to the bathroom. He inadvertently scored a 3 instead of a 4 on the par-3 fourth hole, so he signed an incorrect score and was disqualified.
Under the new rule, you would have had 15 minutes to correct the error or for an official to find it and alert you to the error.
“For an honest mistake that I guess could make the difference in the tournament, I think it’s great,” Spieth said. “I don’t think it’s a game skill, especially at the professional level. “If someone entered the wrong score, they can go back and plug it in again.”
As for the 15 minutes, there is a timestamp when a card is accepted, and the 15 minutes are not reduced to the second. It doesn’t happen very often, especially on the PGA Tour, where scores are compared to a computer.
And there are exceptions. If a player remains scoring for 15 minutes (Phil Mickelson was known to stay there), the card will be considered returned when that player leaves the area. Additionally, the 15-minute rule could be affected by a tiebreaker or by the fact that tee times must be posted immediately after a cutoff.
