Queensland Open to feature new high tech scorecards
BY iseekgolf.com | Von Nida Tour | 2003 Queensland Open | General | 10 Oct 2003
Players in the 2003 QLD Group Queensland Open Golf Championship will be the the first major tournament competitors to use a new, high tech scorecard that should eliminate some of the embarrassing and costly errors of the past.
The scorecard, similar in looks and use to a TAB punting ticket, has been adopted by the Queensland Golf Union for the 67th running of the Open, at Ipswich from October 30 to November 2, with the consent of the PGA.
As well as virtually eliminating the risk of player error, the card will speed up the processing of scores and create an electronic leader board to keep spectators up to the minute with the scores of all players.
Created in New Zealand two years ago, the scoring system with card reader and processor is designed to be eventually introduced at all levels of golf from club competition to international tournaments.
The QGU has the first licence in Australia for Golf Auto Score and has trialled it successfully at the Queensland Closed and the Gary Player Junior Classic tournaments.
A special version of the GAS scorecard is being produced in full colour for the Queensland Open and Ipswich Golf Club is planning to have monitors displaying the scores and progress information for the fans.
Clive Truman, a director of Golf Auto Scorecard, said his company was very excited about having the system in use at the Queensland Open for the first time at an event on a major professional tour.
“Golf AutoScore has been running in New Zealand clubs for over two years with great success and we are delighted to now offer our product within Australia,” he said.
“Our system takes the scoring stress away from club managers and event organisers and provides entertainment to the players and public who enjoy watching a professional style leaderboard in the club house.”
QGU assistant executive officer, Ian Hepburn, who is guiding the introduction of the GAS system in Queensland, said the new scorecard would be the same style and size as the traditional one but players would record their score by putting a single line through numbered dots on each hole.
After checking and signing the card in the normal way, players will feed it into an electronic reader which will process the information in a milli-second.
If an error is detected, the card will be returned for correction by the player.
Mr Hepburn said the human factor would still be needed to prevent a repetition of the incident at this year’s British Open when two players were disqualified after recording their scores on the other’s card.
However, it will reduce by two thirds the number of people needed to process cards and scores and have the results on display to the public much sooner, he said.
Source – QGU
