R&A launches campaign to combat WHS ‘cheating’
The R&A has launched a campaign to raise awareness of
golfer’s responsibilities when they submit a score to their handicap
record.
In an effort to combat what R&A chiefs are calling manipulation,
the governing body has been in contact with GB&I clubs and players
to inform them how to ensure their handicap is accurate.
In an interactive flipbook released today, which is in support of the
campaign across Great Britain and Ireland, the body outlined five keys
for players to consider when entering scores, particularly general
plays, to their record.
Firstly, players have been reminded to pre-register their rounds and not to be selective of the scores they post.
Their second point is one that might seem obvious, but it is to try
their best in each round, ensuring that players finish their round and
submit acceptable scores as soon as possible.
Players are also reminded to certify the scores of playing partners,
ensuring they are accurate. Additionally, golfers are being encouraged
to submit as many general plays as possible, in order to give them an
accurate handicap index.
Finally, and most pertinently, players have been encouraged to ‘be
honest’ and urged to act within the rules of handicapping, without using
these rules to gain an unfair advantage.
It’s that final point of honesty, which Grant Moir, Executive
Director – Governance at The R&A, was keen to stress, speaking ahead
of the announcement.
“Our aim here is to help golfers better understand the behaviours and
actions that are a breach of the rules, to emphasise that deliberately
breaching these rules is unacceptable and to call out deliberate
manipulation for what it is: which is cheating,” Moir said.
“I’d like to emphasise that we don’t think for a minute there are
many golfers abusing the system to gain an unfair advantage, but we
recognise that even if a small number are doing this, it can impact on
the enjoyment of golf and it negatively impacts on the golfer’s opinion
of WHS.
“The R&A along with the USGA need to monitor WHS closely and
through our research, it’s clear that in Great Britain and Ireland,
there are some concerns around the system and particularly the
perception that there may be a small minority of players that are
manipulating the system.”
As Moir alluded to, handicap manipulation is a common concern amongst competitive golfers in GB&I.
The perception is that some golfers use general play scores to submit
scores that will take their handicap index higher than their actual
ability. Then, when it comes to competitive golf, they play to their
real potential, scooping up often lucrative prizes.
On the other end of the spectrum, some golfers might cheat the system
to take their handicap lower than what it should be, in an effort to
qualify for elite amateur events, although the R&A and national
bodies haven’t found this to be too prevalent.
The campaign comes on the back of a survey, where Moir explained that two main concerns had been raised.
“We did a survey last year, we had 72,000 responses, it was a global
survey, but a large portion of those responses were from GB&I,” he
said.
“The outlook generally was very positive, but there was two key
themes from the GB&I respondents. One of them was this perception
and concern that there was handicap manipulation through general play
scores, and secondly, that handicap committees needed more support to
carry out their role effectively.”
On handicap committees and their role in ensuring fairness of
competitions, Moir encouraged clubs to undertake regular reviews of
players’ handicaps and to flag up any concerns that they may have.
“Clubs are encouraged to review all member’s handicaps at least once a year,” Moir said.
“The system should flag up any
abnormalities, any things that could be considered to be suspicious.
That doesn’t always mean it is suspicious. People improve or they get
worse for various reasons, but if there is a concern, there is the
ability to raise that with the player, to seek explanation for why there
may be these discrepancies.
“It’s not easy being on a handicap
committee in your own club and dealing with difficult situations like
that. The more support they can get from the system itself and the
national bodies, which I know they provide, is hugely important. To
a certain extent, it relies on the handicap committees to be prepared
to undertake those reviews and to raise the difficult questions should
something out of the norm arise.”
While there are some concerns around the system, the R&A’s
Governance chief was keen to stress that WHS isn’t going anywhere, and
that it is very much a better system than what went before.
“Absolutely, emphatically yes,” he said,
when asked if WHS was the best way forward. “We’ve heard this in
feedback. The averaging system, the eight from 20, the fact that general
play scores for people’s handicaps to be more reflective of their
ability, to be more reflective of their current form.
“People don’t get stuck in the same place.
The ability to submit general play scores is a huge positive. Also, the
fact that people can gain a handicap where they might feel somewhat
intimidated by playing in competitions and the like.
“It’s here to stay, it’s still in its
infancy, there are many positives, but where we feel there are
negatives, we’re keen to try and address those and refine those and the
system over the coming years.”
