“The Marker” is a much-maligned fellow. On the one hand, he takes abuse from his fellow competitors; on the other hand, he assumes a responsibility far greater than the rules permit. By definition, he is appointed to record a competitor’s score in stroke play. He may be a fellow competitor, he is not a referee.
The genesis of the marker goes back to 1744, when the Gentlemen Golfers of Leith, in their first event, had a condition that read “Each group shall be accompanied by a clerk to mark down every stroke each of them shall strike off”. Just imagine, if we modern golfers were to have this luxury today! It was only in 1891 that the R&A’s Rule read “The scores shall be kept by a special marker or by the competitors noting each other’s score” leading to the modern day Rule 6-6 which I wish more golfers, professional or amateur spend time reading, which cannot be clearer be it in semantics or understanding plain English.
Not bigger than the gameThe two most celebrated cases of breach of this rule involve great names. At The Open Championship in 2003, Mark Roe and Jesper Parnevik failed to exchange scorecards and thus signed for incorrect scores.
Roe had shot a 67 and was lying 3 shots off the lead. Having refereed at The Open Championship several times, I am aware of the effort to painstakingly check the scores at the recorder’s hut. As the error was not spotted until later, both players were disqualified. While the R&A took some of the blame, Roe was magnanimous when he said, “Rules are rules and they are there to protect the game. I’m not bigger than the game.”
What a stupid I am to be wrong hereAt the 1968 Masters, Argentine, Robert de Vincenzo birdied the 17th during the final round only to have his marker, Tommy Aaron, write down a four. He submitted the card and the four left him one behind, eventual winner, Bob Goalby instead of tying him for a playoff. His famous comment “What a stupid I am to be wrong here” still reverberates!
Don’t ask for relief, take itSome of the worst arguments I have seen involve relief procedures. Invariably amateurs ask their marker for relief only to have it promptly denied. The rules require a competitor to involve his marker or fellow competitor under a penalty of 1 stroke for failure to do so, only while determining if the ball is embedded (Rule 25-2) or if unfit for play (Rule 5-3) or to identify (Rule 12-2). On all other occasions, a player is expected to get on with the game!
Interesting decisionsOur holy book has many twisters. If you have omitted to record the score for one hole, you are disqualified. If you recorded all scores correctly but totalled it incorrectly, breathe easy. If you recorded the back nine scores on the front nine, you are disqualified. But if you discovered the error before turning in and instead just altered the hole numbers to read back nine first and front nine second, you’re okay.
Check that cardWhile amateurs may not have as much to lose as de Vincenzo, Parnevik, Roe, Daly and Gillespie, it is most prudent to double check your hole by hole scores, handicap recorded and signature in place before you turn it in.
The Committee cannot waive a penalty for disqualification for returning a wrong score, unless he could not reasonably have known or discovered the facts resulting in his breach of the rules. It is the player’s responsibility to know the rules.
So hang in there unless you are that breed of a golfer like the wit who said: “Please don’t ask me what the score is, I am not even sure what the game is”.
