2023 Pace of Play Policy – Match Play

MATCH PLAY 

The following Policy will be in effect at the following events: BMW Philadelphia Amateur Championship, Brewer Cup, Junior Boys’ Championship and Junior-Junior Boys’ Championship when the stroke play portion of these events has ended and match play begins.

Maximum Allowable Time 

Maximum allowable time is the MAXIMUM time considered necessary by the Committee for a match to complete its round. This is expressed in a per-hole and aggregate time format. 

Out of Position

A match is out of position when it takes more than the maximum allowable time to finish a hole and: 

a) Reaches a par 3 that is clear of play and all players in the match ahead have played from the teeing area of the next hole. 

b) Reaches a par 4 that becomes clear of play before any player plays a stroke from the teeing area. 

c) Reaches a par 5 after any player in the match ahead has made a stroke on the putting green. 

A match that is out of position may be timed. 

Timing (“On the Clock”) / Bad Times 

• When the Committee determines that a match will be put “on the clock,” the players will be notified by a Rules Official. 

• Each player is permitted a maximum of 40 seconds to make a stroke. A player is considered to have made a bad time only when the player exceeds 40 seconds, plus an additional 10-percent timing margin. A player will be informed of a bad time as soon as possible. 

• The timing of a player’s stroke begins when it is the player’s turn to play without interference or distraction. Time spent determining yardage and other conditions, such as wind, will count as time taken for the stroke. 

• On the putting green, the actions allowed under Rule 13.1 are not included in the timing of a player’s stroke, provided the player is not unreasonably delaying play. However, time spent surveying the line of play from any angle will count as time taken for the stroke. 

• When “on the clock,” the Committee may assess a bad time to a player who delays play between shots or holes. 

• A Rules Official will not tell a match when it has regained its position and is no longer “on the clock.” A player may inquire of the match’s status at any time. 

• Regardless of position, if the Pace of Play Committee determines that a player(s) in the match is delaying play of their own match, any subsequent match, or the competition in general: 

• The player(s) may be spoken to by a Rules Rover. 
• The penalty for breach of Rule 5.6a (Unreasonable Delay of Play) may be applied. 
• The Committee reserves the right to put a match, or individual player “on the clock” regardless of whether the match is out of position. 

Penalties

The following is the penalty structure for players who receive bad times while being timed (“on the clock”): 

• 1^st bad time – warning 

• 2^nd bad time – loss of hole 

• 3^rd bad time – loss of hole 

• 4^th bad time – disqualification 

If the match in question regains its proper position, any previous bad times will be carried over for the remainder of that match.