Each state's SGA Tour Order of Merit (OOM) is the annual award for the best, most committed and most consistent Tour player of the year. The guiding principle for the OOM is to reward regular attendance and consistent performance in Tour events throughout the year.

POINTS

The point scoring format has been calibrated to foster a close race for the OOM title. Tour Members receive entry points for each event they enter, and the top 20 Tour Members at each event score points (20 for first, 19 for second, etc). Furthermore, only the top seven performances (placing points) by a player count towards their final points tally.

This structuring of the points system means that the more points a player accumulates, the harder it becomes for them to add to their tally. This means an early bolter will struggle to escape. The closer we get to the end of the season, the tighter the race will become. Hence, even players who join the Tour mid-season still have a chance of winning the OOM and/or qualifying for the Tour Championship with solid, consistent performances. The OOM is decided in the last event before the Tour Championship.

The Tour Championship is contested in the final event of the year by the top 25 players (plus ties) in the Order of Merit. Hence, a player who doesn't make up the ground late in the year to win the Order of Merit can still be in contention to qualify for the Tour Championship. The points system has been structured this way in the interests of keeping as many Tour players in contention for Tour Championship qualification for as long as possible.

The SGA Tour Club Championships is played over four rounds spread throughout the year with a golfer needing to participate in three of the four nominated events to be eligible. The four rounds generally correspond with the four Major Championships of professional golf and a player’s three best scores count towards the combined total. Club Championships scores are added together and the player(s) with the highest cumulative total from their best three Club Championships rounds wins.

As the Club Championships rounds constitiute four of the SGA Tour ‘Majors’ for the golfing year and it is one of our premium Trophy Events, in the Club Championships, five additional Order of Merit Placing Points will be awarded for each of the four Club Championships rounds. Hence Order of Merit points will be awarded from 25 to 1 rather than the usual 20 to 1.

Every SGA Tour Member's Club Championships scores are simply added together and the player(s) with the highest cumulative total from their best three Club Championships rounds wins. At the end of the year, the Club Championships winner will be presented with the trophy and prizes at the final event of the Tour season: The Tour Championship.

Club Championships Terms & Conditions

• Only current SGA Tour members are eligible.
• The SGA Tour Club Championships is derived from the best three scores achieved in the four Club Championships events throughout the year.
• The Club Championships will be determined by cumulative individual Stableford points.
• Any Par or Stroke event staged as a Club Championships round will have scores adjusted to the corresponding stableford points for the Club Championships scores.
• Order of Merit Placing Points for each of the four Club Championships rounds will be from 25 to 1 rather than the usual 20 to 1.
• The SGA Tours in each State are separate competitions and scores are not transferable from one Tour to another.
• Only players with current and valid official handicaps are eligible.
• SGA Tour Members must be entered in the competition on the day to qualify to receive OOM points for the event and/or to have scores included in the Club Championships.
• Eligibility, points awarded, event results, prizes awarded, membership and Club Championships results are all at the sole discretion of Social Golf Australia.
• Players enter and participate in events at their own risk.
• Social Golf Australia reserves the right to amend, alter or revise the conditions of entry, the prize pool, membership status and event results without notice.
• In the event of a tie for the Club Championships, there will be no countback and the tied players will share the award and the prize pool.

The SGA Tour Pairs Better Ball (i.e. 4BBB) Championships is an award for best cumulative score by individuals in four designated Pairs events each year.

These events are our Mini-Majors for the year as they carry extra importance. Firstly there are double the number of Order of Merit (OOM) points to be won as the pairs each win the same points (we run OOM points down to 20th place, so 40 players can receive placing points as opposed to usual 20 per event).

Every SGA Tour Member's 4BBB scores are simply added together and the player(s) with the highest cumulative total from their best three 4BBB Championships rounds wins. At the end of the year, the Championship winner will be presented with the trophy and prizes at the final event of the Tour season: The Tour Championship. To avoid ties, and to encourage socialising on Tour, no player can pair with the same partner in the 4BBB more than once per year.

Pairs Better Ball (4BBB) Championship Terms & Conditions

• Only Tour members are eligible.
• The 4BBB Championship is derived from the scores achieved in the 4BBB events throughout the year.
• The best three 4BBB scores count as the player’s total for the Championship.
• The SGA Tours in each State are separate and the 4BBBs in each state are separate competitions and scores are not transferable from one Tour to another.
• Only players with current and valid official handicaps are eligible.
• SGA Tour Members must be entered in the competition on the day to qualify to receive OOM points for the event and/or to have scores included in the 4BBB Championship.
• Eligibility, points awarded, event results, prizes awarded, membership and 4BBB Championship results are all at the sole discretion of Social Golf Australia.
• Players enter and participate in events at their own risk.
• Social Golf Australia reserves the right to amend, alter or revise the conditions of entry, the prize pool, membership status and event results without notice.
• In the event of a tie for the 4BBB Championship, there will be no countback and the tied players will share the award and the prize pool.

The SGA Matchplay is an annual individual, state-based Matchplay Championship where golfers are drawn to play matches and arrange the matches themselves with the winners progressing to the next round.

The format is individual strokeplay matchplay where the player with the lowest nett stroke score wins the hole. If the same score is carded, the hole is halved. For handicaps, both players check their Daily Handicaps from the tees of the agreed course being played. If there is a difference in Daily Handicap, the lower marker concedes shots on the hardest holes on the matchplay index and gives one shot for each hole where there is a differential. Hence, If a 10 Daily Handicap plays a 15 Daily Handicap, then the player off 15 gets one shot on each of the five hardest holes on the matchplay index. The best individual nett stroke score wins the hole. The event details are:

• Entry FREE and open exclusively to all current SGA Tour Members.
• A draw for the first round of matches will be done for SGA Tour Event in January each year.
• After Round One, opponents will be put in touch by email to arrange to play matches privately.
• There will be six rounds all up with the deadlines for each round listed below.

Players who are drawn for matches from Round 2 onwards will be put in email contact by SGA and need to arrange a venue and date themselves for playing their match. Results are to be reported to SGA and the winner progresses to the next round of matches. At the end of the year, the SGA Matchplay Championship winner will be presented with the trophy and prizes at the final event of the SGA Tour season: The Tour Championship.

The SGA Tour Golfer of the Year (GOTY) is the annual award for the SGA Tour Member(s) who epitomises the principles of the game and what the SGA Tour stands for: to enjoy sharing a round of golf in good humour with respect and consideration for the laws and traditions of the game and for fellow golfers. The GOTY winner is announced and presented with the Neil Hocking Memorial Trophy at the final event of the Tour season: The Tour Championship.

The guiding principle for the GOTY is to recognise fair play, sportsmanship, consideration for others, respect for the rules and traditions of the game and golfing etiquette. These are the foundations upon which golf is built and there is great value in fostering and supporting these ideals. Hence, the GOTY is not an award for the best player, but for excellence in golf. It may be awarded for ongoing achievement through the course of the year, or for a single act of sportsmanship that is a worthy example of what is great about the game of golf.

Golf is not built on foundations of a few great deeds by the best golfers - the incredible shots and remarkable triumphs of the game's elite. Golf has been built on, and continues to rely on, many small deeds from golfers everywhere: helping a playing partner look for their temporarily misplaced ball; not talking during someones back-swing; not throwing a club after a poor shot; offering to rake a bunker if you are on the green and your playing partner is having a long day at the beach; lending a hand by moving a trolley, replacing a divot or repairing a pitch mark; recognising a great shot by an opponent; accepting both defeat and victory graciously and with humility; filling two divots every time you make one; or simply remembering to keep sand in your bucket.

At different times, I have failed at all of these simple tasks, so I know this is an award that I could not win. But it is one that I aspire to be worthy of. Notwithstanding that the road to hell is paved with good intentions, it is possible for us all to improve as golfers. Bobby Jones addressed his petulant tantrums on the course as a youth to transform himself into an icon of sportsmanship. My hope is that by having a Tour award that recognises the best that we can be as golfers, we can encourage and foster an approach from our Tour Members that will make the game more enjoyable for all to participate in.  -- Matthew Pitt. SGA Managing Director

The Tour Championship is the final event of the year and played at some of Australia’s most prestigious golf clubs. It is intended to be a celebration of the golfing year and all golfers are welcome to join the fun. The day features a presentation dinner after golf where all our major awards for the year are presented to the winners.

An exclusive field of 25 players will compete on the day in a separate event for The Tour Championship title. The top 25 players (plus ties) in the Order of Merit (OOM) who attend will contest The Tour Championship. Note that if a player in the top 25 cannot take their place in the field, that place is offered to the first alternate (the 26th player in the OOM plus ties) and so on. Hence, if five of the top 25 do not attend, the Tour Members down to 30th place (plus ties) will qualify to compete for the Tour Championship title. We have had a player who finished as low as 46^th in the OOM go on to win The Tour Championship.

Sponsor the Tour Championship

The Tour Championship is our premier event of the year and the ideal opportunity for business operators who play on the Tour to show their support for the SGA Tour and promote their businesses to our Tour golfers and their guests.

Tour Championship Sponsors benefits:

• Acknowledgement in event information
• Sponsor's logos printed in the event program
• Acknowledgement at the prize presentation
• Tax receipt for event sponsorship & advertising
• Acknowledgement and website links in event results
• Logos and links on the Tour Championship webpage

Investment

Tour Championship Prize Sponsorship - prize contribution
Tour Championship Supporter Sponsorship - $110.00
Premium TC Sponsor (inc event entry for one) - $335.00
Deluxe TC Sponsorship (inc event entry for two) - $595.00