[Jeong Ui-cheol's Golf Trivia Dictionary] "What is the order of tee shots?"

The order of tee shots is determined based on the performance of the previous hole.

Golf is an individual sport, but it is not played alone.

In tournaments such as the Korean Professional Golfers' Association (KPGA) Korean Tour, players usually compete in groups of three. They act as each other's markers to verify the scores of their playing partners. Each round begins in the order specified on the tee time sheet. After the first hole, the order of tee shots changes. Among players A, B, and C playing together, the player with the best score on the first hole becomes the Honor for the second hole.

It is common to mistakenly refer to the Honor as "Owner," but "Honor" is the correct term. It signifies the privilege of teeing off first. The order of tee shots for the third hole is again determined based on the results of the second hole. If all three players have the same score, the order remains unchanged. The tee shot order for the remaining holes is decided in this manner. So, what happens if a player does not follow the tee shot order?

There is no penalty as it does not violate the rules. It is considered a matter of etiquette. If the player who is supposed to tee off first needs to quickly use the restroom, it is acceptable to ask for understanding and swap the order. The tee shot order for the first hole in rounds 1 and 2 is fixed according to the tee time sheet, but from round 3 onward, the tee times are rearranged based on the players' scores. Both the tee shot order and playing partners may change.

For example, if players A, B, and C are tied for the lead after two rounds, the player who submits their scorecard first in round 2 will tee off last in round 3. This is called the "First in, Last out" system. In other words, when tied, the player who submits their scorecard first plays later, and the player who submits later plays earlier. Submitting the scorecard quickly means the player started their round earlier.

KPGA Media Team Leader zec9@kpga.co.kr