2009 U.S. Pro Golf Tour Regulations

TOURNAMENT COMMITTEE

Director of Golf Operations – Robert Bender

2009 U.S. Pro Golf Tour Player Advisory Board

Tim Cantwell, Jr.*
Sean Dougherty
Gibby Gilbert, III*
Ed Moses
Alex Rodger
Chad Saladin
Brendan Steele
Brad Weesner
(*denotes co-chairs)


CONDUCT OF TOURNAMENTS

Official USPGT Million Dollar Championships in 2009 will consist of 54 holes of stroke play, with a cut after 36 holes to the top 100 and ties. Places 11-100 will be paid accordingly after 54 holes. Players 1-10 will play in a nine-hole shootout for their prize money.

There will be one event in which there is not a shootout. This is a 54 hole, stroke play event, with a cut after 36 holes to the top 72 and ties.

The Celebrity Pro-Am Team Championship is not an official event.

Players must walk at all times during a stipulated round except where permitted to ride by the Rules Committee. Some events may require carts due to course layout.

During the 54 hole competitions, players are required to either carry their own clubs or hire a caddie. Pull carts will not be allowed for any reason. If a player can not carry his own bag, he is required to hire a caddie. In most cases, the host pro can help find a caddie. A caddie is required for any player participating in the shootout.

Tournament Entry Procedure

Registration for USPGT events will be accepted via mail, fax or on-line at www.usprogolftour.com. There is no entry fee for USPGT members.

Registration will not be accepted by phone.

Deadlines

The deadline to enter an event is Wednesday at 11:59 P.M. (Pacific Time), two (2) weeks before the start of the tournament. The deadline for Non-members to enter is Tuesday at 11:59 P.M. (Pacific Time) before the start of the tournament. Each event deadline is listed on the “Tournament Schedule” on the website. After the Member deadline, the field opens to all players on the PAID waiting list.

Tournament Check-In

All players must check-in on-site by Wednesday at the primary host course. Registration will be open from Noon - 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday and 8:30 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Membership

Membership fees will be announced soon.

Non-Members

Non-members may participate in a USPGT event if the field is not full by the tournament deadline. They must register on-line, based on a first-come, first-serve basis. The fee for a non-member to compete in a USPGT event is $4,950 or $2,950. (Fee subject to change) Please see entry form.

Non-members do not earn official money towards exempt status for 2010 or are they eligible for player awards or statistical awards during the event.

Field Size

Full fields for official USPGT events are 312 players during daylight savings time and 264 when daylight savings time is not observed, unless otherwise noted.

Withdrawals

Withdrawals will be accepted for any reason, without penalty, when notice is given by 5 P.M. (central time), on the Friday before the event. Players must call the Tour Office to withdraw. For withdraws after Friday, the player will waive his entry fee to the tournament. Medical and personal withdrawals after the deadline will be evaluated on a case by case instance, and if accepted, there will be a $500 processing fee. The player must submit written documentation to the Tour Office within 24 hours of withdrawal, and medical withdrawal documentation must be on a Doctor’s letterhead. No refunds or credits will be given to a player, for any reason, once he has teed-off.

PGA Monday Qualifiers

Players who are scheduled to play in a USPGT event, but qualify to play in a PGA, Nationwide, or Champions Tour event that week, must notify the Tour Office of their desire to withdraw by Noon on Tuesday. Any entry fee can be rolled over to the next event without penalty.

No Shows

Players failing to show up for their tee-times without notifying the Tour, will lose all playing privileges for the 2009 season.

Pairing Procedures

Pairings shall be drawn in groups of three players. Following the cut, pairings shall be drawn in groups of three. Pairings of players for the first two rounds are random and drawn based on the current season Money List. Players who are not on the Money List will be placed in the final groupings. Pairings for the first USPGT event will be random.

Tee Times

Event tee times and pairings will be posted by 5:00 P.M. Tuesday of the event at the tour trailer, the host golf shop, the primary host hotel and on the tour’s website. Tee time requests will not be taken. Tee times are not available at the Tour Office or by telephone.

Tee Times for Round 3 will be available within one (1) hour after completion of the previous round.

Pro-Am Policy

Players for the Pro-Ams will be chosen from the money list. Some players may be asked to participate based on past performance or sponsor requests. A tentative pro-am list will be posted by Noon on Tuesday the week of the event.
Important Note: Players will be allowed to miss one (1) USPGT Pro-Am. The player must notify either the Tournament Director or Tour Office by Wednesday prior to the pro-am. All players who have committed to play in the Pro-Am are required to attend any social functions related to that pro-am. Players, once committed, who fail to participate in the pro-am or pairings party will be fined $1,000 for the first offense. Any offenses there after will result in additional fines in $1,000 increments. The dress code for such functions will be different at each event. The required dress code will be posted at the Tour Trailer each week. Players are expected to comply with the Tour dress code while attending these functions.

Professionals are not eligible for any prizes awarded for any contest (e.g., hole-in-one, longest drive, closest to the hole, etc.) unless specifically stated otherwise.

Pro-Am Five Hour Rule
In order to keep the Pro-Am’s on schedule, and to allow the maintenance staff proper time to prepare the golf course for tournament play, the Tour will place a limitation on Pro-Am’s similar to those imposed by other Tours.
A horn will sounds to begin play once the teams have reached their designated holes, five (5) hours from that time, another horn will sound. If a team was the first to play from a tee (example #1A), they may finish the hole they are on. If a team was the second to play from a tee (example #1B), they will finish the hole they are on and then play the next hole. A team will be given par for any hole that is not completed.

Time elapsed during a weather delay does not count against the 5 hour limit.
Exception: The five hour rule may be waived at certain events.

Junior Clinic Policy

Please check the message board for the date and time. Each clinic will have 5-10 Professionals participate. Professionals will be chosen by the Tournament Director the week prior to the clinic. The names for each clinic will be posted on the player message board by Friday.

Each player on the USPGT will be chosen once during the season to help with a clinic. It is the responsibility of every player to attend the clinic for which they are chosen to participate or find a replacement. Players failing to attend are subject to disciplinary action by the Tournament Director and will be chosen for future clinics. If a player misses a cut, he is not required to stay and participate in the junior clinic.

Practice Round Policy

Official practice round days are Tuesday and Wednesday, unless otherwise noted on the website. Players must call each course for a tee time. A special USPGT rate has been negotiated for USPGT players. Players are responsible for all costs associated with practice rounds.

The range may also be temporarily closed during the day for additional picking and special events. As daylight permits, the range may remain open later during some events. The range facility is available to USPGT players and pro-am participants only. Players must cooperate with the closing hours of the range so that the balls may be picked, cleaned and readied for the next day. A fine will be incurred if a player does not comply with the facility or tournament staff concerning the temporary closing of the range.

Due to the restricted nature of some facilities, the length and width of the range may dictate the use of irons only or small number of hitting stations.

Course Markings

The tournament course will be marked by the Tour Staff prior to the event.

On all par 3’s, the yardage will be marked on the back of the tee box. This number represents the distance from that point to the white dot on the front of the green.

Electronic Devices

The use of distance-measuring devices will be permitted in all USPGT events, except Shootouts. The devices can only measure distance. The use of devices that gauge or measure other conditions that may affect a player’s play (e.g. wind or gradient) regardless of whether used is not permitted.

A mobile phone may be used to call in rulings to the Tournament Director or Rules Official. The numbers will be listed on the Local Rules sheet. Any other use of a cell phone during the stipulated round will result in disciplinary action and possible DISQUALIFICATION. (Use is defined as the phone being on at any time during the stipulated round).

Late to the Tee

A player must be present and ready to play five minutes prior to his scheduled tee time. The Tour has adopted the Note under Rule 6-3b, which allows the player to arrive at his starting point, ready to play, within five minutes after his starting time. The player incurs a two-stroke penalty. After five minutes, he will be disqualified. The clocks on the starting tees are the “Official Time.”

Message Board

The Tour Trailer is the official message center for all events. Any changes in the format or policy will be posted at the trailer. All players are responsible for information posted, and are expected to check the board daily. Also, the Tour will place announcements pertinent to all players here, as well as future Schedule of Events for upcoming tournaments.

Scoring

Immediately after completion of a round, the players are to bring their scorecards to the scoring tent, check them, and place them in the official scoring box. Once in the box the scorecard is deemed to be returned to the committee and official. The scoring tent is limited to players and their caddies. Other players are not allowed to gather in the tent area while play is in progress.

During the round, at specific scoring check points, the player may be asked for his scorecard by a Tour Official or volunteer in order to update our on-course and website leader boards. These requests will be made as unobtrusively as possible, and the cooperation by the player is required and greatly appreciated.

Scoring check points are generally as follows:

Hole 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 17 Green.

In some events, certain pairings in contention will have walking scorers with each group, particularly on the final round.

TOURNAMENT ADMINISTRATION

Purses

All players making the cut and completing the final round will receive a check. The purse breakdowns are available on-line.

Prize Money Distribution

Prize money checks will be mailed to the player’s address that is on file with the Tour Office within 10 business days following the final round. No checks will be sent unless the Tour has record of the player’s 9 digit U.S. social security number or tax ID.

Note: United States Federal Tax Law requires the US Pro Golf Tour to withhold 30% of all foreign players (non-U.S. residents) winnings.

Playoffs and Ties

The only ties which will be broken by a playoff are those to decide first place, or to eliminate a player in the shootout. All other ties will remain as ties and the purse for those positions will be divided equally. A sudden death playoff, or another method during a shootout, will immediately follow play on a hole or holes chosen by the Rules Committee.

Close of Competition

The competition is closed when all scores have been approved by the Rules Committee. In the event of a playoff, the competition shall be deemed to have closed when the playoff scores have been approved by the Rules Committee.

Bad Weather Guidelines

A minimum of 36 holes must be completed for a 54-hole event to be considered official. Every effort will be made to finish each round as scheduled. The first priority is always the completion of the event in its entirety.

If conditions exist which prevent the event from being completed in its entirety on the scheduled date, play may be extended one day if the Tournament Director, golf course conditions, and weather forecast permit. Play on the extra day could include completion of a previous round and one (1) additional round. A reduction of the field to the score which has the closest number of players to the designated cut number will be applied.

If conditions exist which make the completion of the event in its entirety impossible, the next priority is to complete 36 holes. Again, play in this situation may be extended one day if the Tournament Director, golf course conditions, and weather permit. When a shootout is scheduled to follow an event, it may be necessary to take the top 10 players after 36 holes, instead of playing 54 holes.

Play will never be extended beyond one extra day.

Reduction of Purse: In the case where only 36 holes are completed, and we are not afforded the chance to have a shootout, the purse will be reduced by 50%. If only 18 holes are completed, the tournament will either be rescheduled or cancelled.

Important: If play is suspended overnight, it is the player’s responsibility to recover his scorecard from his marker in the event that his fellow-competitor does not return for play the following day.

On-Site Communication

On Tuesday of a Tournament Week, the Tournament Director will meet the host organization and the Title Sponsor representative to review bad weather guidelines and discuss plans to extend the event one extra day if necessary. Also reviewed will be the tournament’s plan to relocate any special events planned for the tournament course if play is extended (i.e. corporate outings).

During any weather delays; after receiving and heavily weighing input from the host site (general manager and/or course superintendent and on-site weather forecaster) the Tour shall make the final decision to extend one day, or reduce the tournament to fewer than the holes originally scheduled.

Once a decision is reached, the player, host organization, and the title sponsor should be the first informed. Secondly, the Tournament Director will disseminate the information to the media and then to the tournament committee if applicable.

Other Factors and Issues

Factors and issues that are considered in making decisions to suspend, postpone or cancel play include the following:

1. Weather Forecast: The likelihood of weather conditions allowing the golf course to be prepared for play and the competition to be completed.

2. Course Conditions: The conditions of the golf course must allow the competition to be conducted under the Rules of Golf. The lift, clean and place rule may be put into effect under extreme circumstances.

3. Cancellation of a Started Round: If some players begin a round under extremely adverse weather conditions, conditions subsequently worsen and further play that day is impossible, the round may be cancelled and replayed in its entirety.

4. Tournament Format: If the tournament utilizes a multiple course format, the number of rounds needed to have players complete one round on each course will be considered. In pro-am events, amateurs may be asked to discontinue once play resumes in an effort to complete play on schedule.

5. Events on Other Tour’s Schedules: Decisions to extend play an extra day will not be influenced by the following week’s scheduled event.

Suspension of Play Due to Dangerous Situations

Play may be suspended for such dangerous situations as lightning, tornadoes, etc. If the players in a group are between two holes, they must not resume play until the Committee so orders. Players who are playing a hole must discontinue play immediately and not resume play until ordered by the Committee.

THE PENALTY FOR BREACH OF THIS RULE IS DISQUALIFICATION

All practice areas shall be closed during a suspension for a dangerous situation until the Committee has declared them open for use. Players who disregard such closing shall be subject to disciplinary actions.

Signals for Suspending and Resuming Play
Discontinue Play Immediately – One long horn blast
Discontinue Play – Three short horn blasts
Resume Play – Two short horn blasts

Pace of Play Policy
Rule 6-7 states, in part: “The player shall play without undue delay and in accordance with any pace of play guidelines which may be laid down by the Committee.” The following pace of play guidelines, penalties, and fines for stroke play competitions has been adopted.

1. Definition of “Out of Position”
The first group to start will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, they exceed the time allotted to play as detailed on the Tour’s Pace of Play Chart.

Any subsequent group will be considered out of position if, at any time during the round, they (a) exceed the allotted time to play and (b) reach a par-3 hole that is open and free of play or reach a par-4 or par-5 hole and have not played a stroke from the teeing ground before the hole is open and free of play.

Note: The Rules Committee reserves the right to time a group when they deem it necessary.

2. Monitoring Group
All players in a group that is out of position will be informed that they are being timed. Every effort will be made to warn a group after all players have left the teeing ground and prior to any other stroke.

3. Timing
At the discretion of the Rules Committee, once a group is determined to be out of position, players in the group may be timed. Other than on the putting green, the timing of a player’s stroke will begin when it is his turn to play and he can play without interference or distraction. Time spent determining yardage will count as time taken for the stroke.

On the putting green, timing will begin after a player has been allowed a reasonable amount of time to mark, lift, clean and replace the ball, repair his ball mark and other ball marks on his line of putt and remove loose impediments on his line of putt.

Note: A player is permitted 40 seconds to play a stroke, and an extra 20 seconds (for a total of 60 seconds) will be allowed for the first player to play:
(a) a stroke on a par-3 hole;
(b) a second stroke on a par-4 or par-5 hole;
(c) a third stroke on a par-5 hole;
(d) around the putting green;
(e) on the putting green.

Any player in a group being timed who exceeds the applicable time to play a stroke will be informed as soon as practicable and any subsequent bad times will be subject to the following penalties:

First Offense: One (1) stoke penalty.
Second Offense: Two (2) stroke penalty (total of three penalty strokes).
Third Offense: DISQUALIFICATION.

Note: Timings exceeding the applicable time to play will be carried over throughout the round.

Appeals: Any appeal must be referred to the on-site Tournament Director immediately upon completion of the play in question’s round. The Tournament Director’s decision shall be final. If the player in question does not appeal, any penalties shall stand.

Player Conduct Policy
The Tour expects all players to conduct themselves as professionals. Club throwing, offensive language, destruction of property, and any other conduct deemed by the Tournament Committee to be unbecoming of a professional will not be tolerated. The following is a list of the possible offenses and penalties:
1. Offensive Language (per tournament)
First Offense: Warning
Second Offense: $300 fine and Disqualification warning
Third Offense: DISQUALIFICATION and subject to dismissal from Tour

2. Club Throwing (per tournament)
First Offense: $300 fine and Disqualification warning
Second Offense: DISQUALIFICATION

3. Destruction of Property (annually accumulative)
First Offense: $300 fine and Disqualification warning
Second Offense: DISQUALIFICATION and Tour expulsion warning
Third Offense: Tour expulsion

4. Striking a Tour Tee Marker (per tournament)
First Offense: $300 fine

5. Failure to Rake Bunkers (per tournament)
All bunkers must be raked properly and thoroughly after a professional has played from it. Raking with a club of foot is not acceptable. The bunker should be left in better shape than when the player entered it in order to create equal conditions for all participants. If a caddie fails to rake a bunker, the professional is held responsible for his caddie’s actions. First Offense: $300 fine and Disqualification warning
Second Offense: DISQUALIFICATION

6. Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol consumption during a practice round, Pro-Am, or tournament round; and/or alcohol abuse during a Tour function will not be tolerated. A $300 fine will be assessed for each violation with NO EXCEPTIONS.

Any excessive behavior deemed unprofessional is grounds for disqualification or tour expulsion and is at the sole direction of the Tour Officials. Players disqualified or expelled are not entitled to a refund or credit for their entry fee or Tour membership fee. Our conduct policy will be strictly enforced, and applied to all competitors. Fines must be paid before the player will be allowed to tee off in the next event.

In the administration of these player conduct guidelines, a member of the Rules Committee shall not tolerate abuse, oral or otherwise, by a player. Such abuse may constitute conduct unbecoming of a professional.

Media Comments: Public Attacks
A favorable public reputation of the Tour is a valuable asset and creates tangible and intangible benefits for the Tour and Tour members. Therefore, it is an obligation of the membership to refrain from comments that attack or disparage the Tour, tournament sponsors, tournament venues, volunteers or fellow-competitors. Legitimate disagreements with the aforementioned must be handled with Tour Officials privately. Any such public attack will be viewed as conduct unbecoming a professional, which is a finable offense.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Eligibility
The Tour is open to any professional or amateur golfer who is 18 years old or older. Amateurs must have a handicap of 5 or less. The Tour reserves the right to refuse participation to anyone, and professionals always have priority over amateurs.

Player Attire
Proper on-site attire is required by all tournament participants. Slacks are required during practice rounds, Pro-Am’s, tournament rounds, as well as all Tour functions including, but not limited to parties, junior clinics, shootouts, etc.

Shorts will not be allowed Tuesday-Sunday of each tournament week. This means that you may wear hemmed shorts during practice rounds on Monday. If you are playing Tuesday through Sunday, or using the practice facility you are required to wear pants. All shirts are to be tucked into trousers. At no time during the tournament week may jeans, tee shirts, sandals or flip flops be worn at the host facility.

Address Changes
The Tour Office needs to be notified of all player address changes. Unless the office is notified, any checks will be sent to the old address.

86 Rule
Any player shooting 86 or higher will automatically be cut from the field. The Tournament Director may adjust this number higher based on course conditions. Any adjustment will be posted in the scoring area.

Water Bottles
All players need to carry water bottles during tournament play. Water will be provided on the course, but cups may not be provided, so players need to refill their water bottles as often as possible during each round.

Medical Exemptions
A Medical Exemption may be granted due to a medical condition, and the player has supplied the proper medical documents to the Tour Office. (A player must request exemption in writing to the Tour). All exemptions will be on a case-by-case basis.

Caddie Regulations
All players in the tournaments are encouraged to employ caddies for all practice, pro-am, and tournament rounds. Golf carts may occasionally be authorized by the Tour due to the host course terrain. At no time will pull carts be allowed. Caddies are required for all players participating in the shootout.

A player may bring his own caddie or hire a local caddie, if available. Local caddies shall be paid promptly. The fee is to be resolved early in the week between the player and caddie. Players shall be responsible for the conduct and behavior of their caddies at tournaments.

The following shall be adhered to in all Tour tournaments:
1. Players are responsible for calling host courses for the availability of local caddies.

2. Caddies may not wear jeans or cutoffs. Hemmed shorts, skirts, skorts and capris are permitted.

3. Caddies must wear collard or mock golf shirt at all times and a caddy bib supplied by the event or the Tour.

4. Caddies shall wear smooth rubber-soled shoes, preferably tennis or basketball shoes. Golf spikes and flip flops are prohibited.

5. Caddies shall assist in maintaining the course by REPLACING DIVOTS AND RAKING BUNKERS as soon as possible after their player has played.

6. Caddies shall not hit shots or putts anywhere on the practice areas or course, except in specially approved competitions.

For any violation of these regulations which affect play, a fine will be levied against the player of the caddie.

Player Equipment
To help ensure that players competing in the Tour events use equipment which conforms with the USGA Rules of Golf, players are encouraged to:
1. Confirm with equipment manufacturers that new equipment or samples have been approved by the USGA.

2. Have any altered or unusual clubs checked out by a Tour Rules Official before Tournament use.
3. Verify that the ball chosen to be played is on the USGA’s “Conforming Golf Balls” list and drivers are on the USGA’s “Conforming Driver Heads” list.

If a player fails to submit his equipment prior to competition, he assumes all risk of a ruling that the equipment does not conform with the USGA Rules of Golf. Additionally, if required by a Tour Official, a player is obligated to surrender any equipment if it is determined that additional off-site testing is necessary to rule on conformity. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action.

Policy for use of Carts by Disabled Family Members
While we will make every effort to accommodate disabled family members who need golf carts, we remind the players that additional golf carts on site at tournament create numerous logistical concerns. As such, we have worked closely with the tournament organizations to reduce the overall number of carts used during tournament week. Nonetheless, the following policy shall be applicable for members seeking to obtain the use of a golf cart for a disabled family member.

The request for the use of the cart must be made by the Tour member.

In requesting the use of a cart for a disabled family member, the Tour member must indicate the name of the person, the nature of the disability, and if requested by the Tour, provide medical reports or other data indicating the extent and nature of the disability.

A request must be made for each individual tournament and must be made no later than the Tuesday of the tournament by 12 noon.

Carts will be made available only to family members who have a disability that prevents them from walking along with their players. The Tournament Director’s decision shall be final.

If a cart is issued to the family member, the following rules relating to the use of the cart shall apply:
1. Cart use shall remain on paths at all times.

2. Carts will not be permitted in designated practice areas (e.g., range, putting green, etc.) at any time.

If in the Tournament Director’s opinion, use of the cart could potentially damage the playing surface of the golf course (e.g., due to wet course conditions), the Tournament Director shall have the right to deny the use of the cart.

We appreciate the membership’s cooperation with these policies as we believe they strike the appropriate balance between the membership’s need to accommodate their disabled family members while, at the same time, not unfairly hindering practice rounds by other members and endangering the safety of spectators and tournament sites.

Practice Areas
To provide contestants the ability to practice without distraction, the USPGT has adopted the following policy:

Only contestants, caddies, instructors, media, golf equipment manufacturers, and Tour Officials are permitted onto any designated practice area (e.g., driving range, practice putting green, practice chipping green, bunkers and tournament course) during the week of the tournament.

Note: Family members and friends are not permitted inside the ropes on the golf course at any time. Family members are permitted on the other designated practice areas when accompanied by the player. Players are expected to use good judgment and discretion when inviting friends and family onto designated practice areas.

Awards
Byron Nelson Award - Voted on by the USPGT management and Staff and given to the Tour player who best exemplifies the outstanding professionalism and sportsmanship set forth by the late Byron Nelson.

2006 - Chad Saladin

Player of the Year - Voted on by the USPGT players, with criteria being wins, money earned, scoring average and success outside the USPGT.

2006 - Lee Williams

Statistical Awards – Statistics are compiled from Official USPGT events.
Lowest Score for each Round of an Event
The following awards are cumulative, and are only awarded at the end of the season.
Most Birdies
Most Eagles
Lowest Scoring Average
Hole-In-One of any Par Three

USPGT may institute other award and performance bonuses at its discretion. Prizes for statistical awards will be split among ties.

If you have any questions regarding the 2009 US Pro Golf Tour Handbook, please call the Robert at 214.714.8223.

Please note: The USPGT reserves the right to change the Tour Regulations at any time. Any changes will be emailed to players and/or posted on site.