Who has honour after tied scores in stroke play?

In stroke play, a tied hole doesn't reset the tee order — the player who teed off first on that hole keeps the honour on the next tee. This carry-over rule (Rule 6.4b(1)) applies on every tee after the first, whether it's a two-way tie for par or a four-way tie for birdie.

How it works on the next tee

Say you and your buddy both make par on the 3rd. You teed off first on the 3rd, so you tee off first on the 4th. The rule doesn't reset the order; it only changes when someone actually beats the field. If three players tie, the same 1-2-3 order from the last tee rolls forward.

First hole is different

On the very first tee there's no previous hole to fall back on. The committee's draw decides, or if there's no draw you agree among yourselves or flip a tee. Once the round starts, the carry-over rule takes over for every tied hole after that.

Match play is the same idea

Match play spells it out more bluntly: "If the hole was tied, the player with the honour at the previous teeing area keeps it." Stroke play works the same way — the wording just focuses on lowest score, and a tie means nobody has a lower score.

Exceptions that change the answer

• A ruling request is pending that could change who won the hole → Players agree or use a random method to decide honour on the next tee until the ruling is settled.

Frequently asked questions

What if we all tie the first hole?

The order from the first tee stays the same for the second tee. The draw or coin toss you used on hole 1 sets the sequence until someone posts a lower score than the others.

Does ready golf change who has honour?

No. Ready golf lets you hit out of turn safely after everyone has teed off, but the player with the honour still tees off first on each hole.

What happens if someone plays out of turn from the tee in stroke play?

No penalty. The stroke counts and you just keep playing. Unlike match play, there's no cancellation option in stroke play.

If two players tie for lowest score but the third player scored higher, who tees off second?

The two tied players keep their relative order from the previous tee. The higher scorer goes last.

Can we just agree to switch the order on a tied hole?

You can agree to play ready golf after the tee shots, but the player with the honour is still the one who tees off first. The honour itself doesn't change by agreement.