Fair play to the fore: Evolving scoring methods in golf

The Star

04-08-2025

The weather is hot, but tensions at the clubhouse – where a ­junior golf tournament is underway – may be rising faster than the temperature.
Disputes usually begin when one player claims their ­opponent took more strokes to ­complete a hole than recorded. With scores still tracked by hand, there's little evidence to settle the matter – just memory and scribbled numbers on a piece of paper. Parents then might chime in to defend their child's performance.
For Sivanandan Chinnadurai, executive director of the non-­profit organisation Foundation of Malaysian Sporting Excellence or SportExcel, such a scenario is not uncommon.
Bear in mind, he adds, that a junior golf tournament has many different categories. Players in the younger categories of between six to eight years old may face ­difficulties scoring on their own so parents could step in to help mark their score cards.
Based on his own experience, CLL Systems software sales director K.K. Chong says some parents may intentionally mark scores in their child's favour, leading to inconsistencies.
In the other categories, ­typically for players aged 12 and above, competitors are required to mark each other's scores to create a system of checks and balances. But even this isn't foolproof.
'Players sometimes return with scores that weren't recorded accurately often because they become less careful as the tournament progresses. We're talking about 18 holes over four hours,' Chong adds.
Officials will have to handle the disagreement by asking players to retrace what ­happened on the hole, stroke by stroke and, if available, verify the account with on-ground markers or marshals stationed nearby.
Real results in real time
Sivanandan says parents and players are increasingly asking for a live scoring ­system, one that allows them to track ­performance in real time, ­rather than waiting until the end of the tournament for results.
In 2024, Chong entered the discussion to help SportExcel find their solution. Within six months, his team built a Golf Management System (GMS) designed to tackle the longstanding issues tied to manual scoring.
'We introduced an online platform for players to immediately submit their score, either hole by hole or after a few holes, to a marker or officer and that person can update the scoring to display live results,' he says.
Sivanandan (right), seen here with Chong, believes technology can also play a positive role by motivating players to improve and take their game more seriously. — AZLINA ABDULLAH/The Star
The results are then displayed on a screen at the ­clubhouse, giving waiting ­parents and ­officials real-time updates on ­players' performance as the game unfolds. They can also access updates through an online link.
Scores are also tabulated instantly, eliminating long waiting times for results, though Sivanandan adds that final verification still lies with the tournament director. For each hole, players can input their score once and it cannot be changed.
Measuring integrity
Can technology help to prevent cheaters from prospering in sports? In 2019, a major high school golf cheating scandal – where players from different schools colluded to shave strokes off each other's scores – prompted an athletic association in the United States to do some soul-searching.
It was later decided that ­players should start learning how to mark their scores in an app called iWanamaker so ­officials and the public can see the event progress in real time.
This year, the National Federation of State High School Associations announced that the app has been widely adopted and used in over 75% of all high school golf tournaments in the US.
In June, Reuters reported that the US Open showcased a Rules of Golf AI Avatar that users can interact with to ask questions about rules. For example, it was able to address a question about what to do when there's an alligator in the bunker where the ball has landed.
A spokesperson said the ­technology aims to educate ­players on the rules leading to fair play and even helping to speed up the game.
Raising the bar
Sivanandan believes technology can also play a positive role by motivating players to improve and take their game more seriously.
'The system gives us a ­reliable record of each player's scores and it can also be accessed publicly. Coaches can refer back to this data as a starting point to better understand and train their players,' he says.
Sivanandan adds that it also helps SportExcel to meet its objective to support young ­talent development in Malaysia through data to make more informed decisions.
'It will be useful for players who want to convince talent scouts that they are worthy of a sports scholarship. We are ­definitely elevating the local junior tournament to move ­forward and keep up with the times,' he adds.