Rankings FAQ

Junior golfers who have not started college, who are residents of South Carolina and have played in a minimum of 5 rankings events.

Yes, juniors must play in a minimum of 5 events before being ranked.

Any junior event conducted in SC and all states adjacent, (NC, GA, VA and TN) as well as pre-set national junior events. For an event in another state to be ranked, financial assistance must be made available to all players, e.g.: AJGA and USGA events. Men’s and Women’s tournaments are not eligible for our rankings.

No, players are added to the rankings automatically after they earn points.

Each player who finishes a rankings event earns points.

Each players total points (39%) earned, and tournament scoring differential (61%) are used to determine the rankings.

The stroke average from the ranking events the player has played in and subtract the average course rating for the course and yardage played to give each player their differential.

The course rating is the “USGA’s mark that indicates the playing difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer under normal course and weather conditions.

The rating is based on yardage and other obstacles to the extent that they affect the scoring ability of a scratch golfer.”*

If a player has more than 2 withdrawals after starting a ranked event, that player will be removed and suspended from the rankings. Withdrawal includes and is not limited to WD, JWD, NS (No Show), No Card (NC), JWD. Any players suspended from the rankings have the right to appeal with the potential to be added back with a penalty score.

Due to an increase in withdrawals at recent SCJGA events we have decided to adopt the Junior Golf Scoreboard policy on the below mentioned terms as of March 7, 2019.

DNS- No show before the competition begins
Players who do not come to the tournament at all

NS - No show
Completed one or more rounds and fails to report for tee time the following day and has not previously notified an SCJGA staff member

WD - Withdrawal
Reserved for a deliberate voluntary action or decision not to continue play after having started a competition and turned in a score for the partial/entire stipulated round

NC - No card
After having begun a competition – a deliberate decision not to sign or turn in a card

DQ - Disqualified
Reserved for an actual USGA rules infraction that occurs without a deliberate or managed intention

For all SCJGA events, partial round scores will be posted.

Points are awarded based on the tier of the event and the strength of field.

The event multiplier gives us the chance to give more established events more points. The multiplier is determined based on historical data of the size and strength of the field.

They are split, unless an on-course playoff is held and then that playoff determines the finish.

No, only the players who play from the longest yardage are awarded rankings points.

What if two or more divisions play from the longest yardage set of tees?

Then the divisions are merged into one overall division and points are then awarded for the overall and not the divisions.

How well individual players have fared in the PAST 12 MONTHS in selected tournaments, unless they have graduated from high school, then they are deleted the September after they graduate from high school.

Yes, there must be at least 20 boys or 5 girls playing from the longest set of tees in each event before the results can be used.

Yes. A boy’s tournament with 20 boys or a girls tournament with 5 girls playing the longest set of tees in that event will be used.

The multiplier for those events will be set after the results are received and evaluated based on the size and strength of the field.

While each event is judged on the previous year’s field, the rankings committee reserves the right to adjust the multiplier.

This may be done if the field is small, or the depth of the field is not as deep as it was in the past.

No. For example, if 54 hole event is shortened to 36 holes, the points awarded will not be affected.

We do not use Four-Ball or team score events because results do not reflect the contribution of two players in all cases. In some cases, one player may “carry” the other.

No. They are updated by the 10th of each month, unless otherwise noted. As we share data with the CGA, we must wait until the 5th of each month and make sure all their player profiles are updated as well.

Unless catastrophic errors are found, mistakes are fixed for the next update.

No. We do recommend that the boys play a yardage around 6700 yards and girls play a yardage around 5700 yards, but there is not a requirement.

Yes, juniors who have graduated are deleted in the September rankings after they have graduated from high school.

There are many possible reasons why your name may not be listed on the HCF Junior Rankings:

1. You may not have 5 events under your profile
2. Your profile may not contain your hometown or graduation date.
3. Your name may have been misspelled from another tournament/event. Ex: do you have a nickname?

If an event is not listed, it will still be eligible for rankings if it meets the minimum guidelines. Standard rule of thumb is if there is no field selection, entry is based on date of entry, a one-day tournament will be a 2 weight and a 36-hole event will be a 4 weight.

Tournaments are placed into tiers based on historical data of the strength of the event. The tiers of events range from Tier VI (Prestigious national championships) to Tier I (entry level tournaments).

Each tier has a determined range of points that will be allocated to the champion and subsequently the rest of the field based on the power of the event after it has been concluded

The Power of events is determined based on the ranking of all the players who make up the field.

While each event is judged on the previous year’s field, the rankings committee reserves the right to adjust the which tier the event is placed in after the conclusion of the event.

Points in the Hootie Series are used to determine which players are invited to compete in the Cuthbert-Todd All Stars Championship at the end of the year. Top players in the rankings also receive special exemptions into select Players Series events and Major Championships throughout the year.

Any player with a premium membership who is ranked outside of the top 125 in the Heritage Classic Foundation is eligible to compete in the Hootie Series and earn points. There is no limit to the number of tournaments a player can compete in or the number of points they can earn. The number of points a player receives is determined by their finish in each tournament. For example, first place earns 250 points, second place earns 150 points, third place earns 95 points, etc.

Juniors can sign up for any Hootie Series event anywhere in the state. All registrations are on a first-come, first-served basis, so we recommend signing up as soon as registration opens at 5:00 PM on the opening day. If an event is full, you will be placed on a waitlist and contacted if a spot becomes available.

Yes. If a junior competes in an event, they will receive points regardless of where they finish or how many players compete. There is no way for a tournament score to negatively impact their rank in the Hootie Series Standings.

The Hootie Series Standings are updated after each Hootie Series event, so rankings can change from day to day depending on how many events take place on a given day. It may take up to 24 hours for points to appear in the standings.

Yes. Each Hootie Series event will also contribute to your HCF ranking as long as there are 20+ boys in the 13-19 division or 5+ girls in the 13-19 division. If you do not already have an HCF ranking, you will earn one after you have five ranked events at the time of the monthly rankings update.

If a player ages out of the 12 & Under division, they are no longer eligible to earn points in that division. Their ranking will reset as an 18-holer. However, their ranking will not disappear from the 12 & Under division, and this will be taken into account for the Cuthbert-Todd All Stars Championship.

Non-residents are allowed to compete in the Hootie Series as long as they are a member with us and meet the eligibility criteria. However, they are unable to earn HCF points or establish a ranking in the South Carolina system. The committee is allowed to determine if an out-of-state player is ineligible to compete in the Hootie Series.

If players tie at a tournament, the points will be split evenly and added to their Hootie Series Ranking.