Hey golfers: Keep an eye on the scorecard

An Oregon high school golfer missed winning her fourth consecutive state championship when she signed for an incorrect score and was disqualified. A tough way to lose, for sure. But all golfers understand this tradition.

A Clark County golfer had a similar incident at a state tournament a couple of years ago. Belex Cheng of Union was not going to win a state championship, but she was disqualified from the tournament.

She was a great sport about the situation. (She also is going to state again this year, as the Class 4A District 4 champion.)

As far as being DQ’d for a paperwork miscue, some think that is too harsh of a penalty. I’d argue that in professional golf, when every shot is documented with spotters and scorers, perhaps signing the card is an unnecessary part of the sport. But for amateur players, that signature is the golfer’s way of promising that was his or her score. The game is all about integrity, more so when no one is watching.

We applaud golfers for stepping up and acknowledging miscues. They know the penalty, but they understand the integrity of the game is at stake.

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