Order of Merit
Every round pays points by finishing position. Add them up across the trip, and the most points wins.
What it is
An Order of Merit turns a run of rounds into one standings table. Instead of adding up strokes or Stableford points, each round awards points by where you finished: first place gets the most, then down the order. Your trip total is the sum of those position points.
Because every round is scored the same way, you can mix formats freely: a stroke-play round, a Stableford round and a team best ball round all count equally. One bad round costs you a few points, not the whole trip, so everyone stays in it to the last day.
How scoring works
- 1.Play each round in any format; the round produces a finishing order (lowest net strokes, or most Stableford points).
- 2.Award position points: 10 for 1st, 7 for 2nd, 5 for 3rd, then 4, 3, 2 and 1. Eighth place and below score 0.
- 3.Ties share the higher position's points, and the next finisher skips down (two tied for 2nd both get 7; the next player gets 4th place's 4).
- 4.Team rounds give every player on the team the team's full points.
- 5.Add up each player's points across the rounds; the highest total wins the Order of Merit.
How Sunday Singles runs it
- Points table
10, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 for the top seven finishers in each round (the classic men's night table).
- Points when the round is done
Points are awarded once a round is finished (every card finalized, or everyone through the last hole); until then the round shows a live order.
- Any format
Stroke play, Stableford, Modified Stableford, best ball and scramble rounds all feed the same standings.
Handicaps
Handicaps are applied inside each round by that round's format (net stroke play, net Stableford and so on). The Order of Merit only reads the finishing order, so it inherits whatever handicap rules each round used.
Best for
Multi-round trips and season-long men's nights where the rounds use different formats, groups with a wide spread of handicaps, and anyone tired of one blow-up round deciding the whole trip.
Score Order of Merit automatically
Sunday Singles handles the handicaps, the scoring, and a live TV leaderboard for the whole trip. Set up your first round free.
Common questions
What is an Order of Merit in golf?
A points table across several rounds. Each round awards points by finishing position, and the player with the most points after all the rounds wins.
Why use an Order of Merit instead of total strokes?
It lets you mix formats (you can't add strokes to Stableford points), and it caps the damage from one bad round, so the standings stay close for longer.
How are ties handled?
Players tied for a position share the higher position's points, and the next finisher drops to the position after the tie. Two players tied for 1st both get 10; the next player gets 3rd place's 5.