How is a tie in stroke play decided?
It is up to the Committee to determine how ties are to be decided and the Committee should announce the procedure in advance. The R&A recommends the following: (1) In the event of a tie in a scratch stroke play competition, an 18-hole play-off is recommended. If that is not feasible, a sudden-death play-off is recommended. (2) In handicap stroke play, a play-off over 18 holes with handicaps is recommended. If a shorter play-off is necessary, the percentage of 18 holes to be played should be applied to the players handicaps to determine their play-off handicaps. It is advisable to arrange for a percentage of holes that will result in whole numbers in handicaps. (3) In either a scratch or handicap stroke play competition, if a play-off of any type is not feasible, matching cards is recommended. The method of matching cards should be announced in advance. An acceptable method of matching cards is to determine the winner on the basis of the best score for the last nine holes. If the tying
