Ahead of the 2021 season, the EGA has confirmed changes to its championship regulations and policy.
European Mid-Amateur Age Limit
The lower age limit required to compete in the European Mid-Amateur Men’s and European Mid-Amateur Ladies’ Championships has been reduced from 30 to 25 years of age.
The new age limit, which applies from day one of the championship, comes into effect this season and will be used for the first time at the European Mid-Amateur Championships at Pula Golf Resort, Spain from 3-5 June.
A new prize for the best men’s and ladies’ performers over the age of 40 will also be awarded for the first time this season at the European Mid-Amateur Championships.
EGA Hard Card (Terms of competition that apply to all EGA Championships)
Advice Givers & Motorised Transport
At the EGA’s European Team Championships, countries are permitted to nominate two ‘advice givers’ for their teams. Quite simply, the advice givers, which consist of the team captain (who must be an amateur golfer) and one additional person (who may or may not be professional) are allowed to give advice to their team members during the competition.
The advice givers have restrictions on what actions they can take. A new paragraph has been added to the EGA Hard Card to provide further clarity regarding the actions of Captains and advice givers in relation to motorised transport:
New under 14. b): The advice givers must not ride on any form of motorised transportation during play except as authorised or later approved by the Committee. Penalty for Breach of Local Rule: first breach: warning; subsequent breach: loss of advice giver status.
Model Local Rule D-7 (putting greens):
The EGA has adopted Model Local Rule D-7 for the 2021 season. The local rule covers when a player must replay their shot from the putting green.
With the model local rule in place, should a shot from the putting green accidentally hit the player, the club used to make the stroke, or an animal defined as a loose impediment, the stroke will count, and the ball must be played from where it lies.
The exact wording of the local rule can be found below:
Model Lucal Rule D-7 "Exception 2 to Rule 11.1b applies, except that when a ball played from the putting green accidentally hits:
- the player
- the club used by the player to make the stroke or
- an animal defined as a loose impediment (that is, worms, insects and similar animals that can be removed easily)
the stroke counts and the ball must be played as it lies.
Policy on EGA Championship Trophies
In recent years, several instances relating to damaged trophies, as well as inconsistencies with engraving have been reported.
After many years of being transported from event to event, the trophies have become fragile.
Therefore, the process of storing EGA trophies has been amended as of 2021. Following an EGA championship, the trophies will now be directly returned to the EGA office where they will be kept, maintained and engraved, instead of being taken home for the year by the winner(s).
The updated 2021 hard card, and the EGA’s generic terms of competition and regulations can be accessed on our website here: http://www.ega-golf.ch/content/terms-competition-hard-card
