The 14th All Africa Challenge trophy begins in earnest on Sunday August 26th. There is huge expectation to deliver a seamless and memorable tournament on the soil of Ghana at the premier Achimota Golf Club.
As any important tournament of its caliber, the all ladies’ competition is laced with a number of interesting rules that every participant is expected to fully abide by.
TheGolfer Online, Ghana’s only specialist golf website, sighted a copy of these rules and have reproduced them below.
1. The Tournament shall be played under the Rules of Golf, as published by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews and the Local Rules as published by the Tournament Committee. The Tournament Committee will appoint the Tournament Referee, who shall be a fully qualified R&A International Referee.
2. TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE: Ideally this will consist of the 4 Regional Trustees and the President of the AACT. However any one of these playing in a National Team will not qualify for such service. On matters concerning the Rules of Golf the Tournament Committee will be advised by the Tournament Referee.
3. Each team competing for the All Africa Challenge Trophy shall consist of a minimum of TWO and a maximum of THREE Amateur Lady golfers, with an optional reserve. Participants must be fully paid up, Full Playing members of a golf club registered with the Golf Union, or individually paid up full playing members of the Union, of the country which they represent.
4. Teams (plus 1 optional reserve) are to be registered at the appointed time and date at the venue. The reserve may only play in the case of genuine illness or accident, to a nominated player, before the tournament starts. ONCE PLAY HAS STARTED, THE TEAMS AS NOMINATED, CANNOT ALTER.
5. Each participating country may also nominate at Registration, ONE named coach/captain/manager to give advice to their players, providing the etiquette of no disruption or delay to the other players is observed.
6. The Trophy Tournament shall consist of 54 holes stroke play, over three successive days – 18 holes played each day.
7. In the event of adverse weather conditions, the TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE may decide to reduce the number of rounds for the tournament to two (36 holes). The TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE may declare that the stipulated round on any day shall be less than 18 holes, provided that such declaration is made before the start of play on that day.
8. DRAW: There will be a random draw for the first day of play. Thereafter the draw shall be seeded on the players’ overall gross scores for the preceding round(s). Members of the same team will not be drawn to play with each other in any round.
9. In each 18-hole round, the aggregate of the TWO lowest GROSS SCORES returned by the players of each team, shall constitute the TEAM SCORE for that round. The total of the team score per round, for the three rounds, shall be the team’s score for the tournament.
10. The ALL AFRICA CHALLENGE TROPHY will be awarded to the team returning the lowest total GROSS SCORE for the three rounds. 50% of the teams entered will be acknowledged in the prize list.
11. The individual ALL AFRICA CHAMPION shall be the player who returns the lowest total score over the three days of play. A prize will be awarded to the runner-up to the All Africa Champion.
12. The TRUSTEES JUNIOR TROPHY will be awarded to a National team member, who is under 19 years old on the first day of the tournament. Players who qualify should be identified by their team manager at Registration. Scoring will run concurrently with the AACT Team Trophy over all three rounds. The winner will be the lowest total GROSS SCORE.
13. TIES: In the event of a tie for the winner of the ALL AFRICA CHALLENGE TROPHY, the captain of each team that has tied, shall nominate one player to play-off hole by hole for a “sudden death” result starting from the first tee, or any other convenient alternative tee, stated in the Tournament Conditions. Ties for all other acknowledged Team positions in the prize list shall be decided by a count-back on the TEAM SCORE for the last 36; 18; 9; 6; 3; 1 holes.
14. In the event of a tie for the winner of the INDIVIDUAL ALL AFRICA CHAMPIONSHIP, or the TRUSTEES JUNIOR TROPHY a “sudden death” play-off will commence as above, from the first tee. In the event of a tie for the runner-up to these individual trophies, there will be a count-back on the last 36; 18; 9; 6; 3; 1 holes.
15. If the winner of the Individual All African Championship qualifies for the Junior Trophy, then the qualifying player with the next lowest total gross score will receive the Junior Trophy.
Source: All Africa Challenge trophy
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