R&A chief executive Mark Darbon said the governing body believes the World Handicap System is “really positive” for golf globally.
Speaking to media at Royal Birkdale, he acknowledged there was “definitely some noise around it within the UK”, but stressed “education at the moment is the right method” and that “people need to understand the system”.
The R&A’s most recent annual review noted the education campaign in Great Britain & Ireland last year to highlight player and club handicap committee responsibilities within the Rules of Handicapping.
It was “designed to address feedback suggesting handicap manipulation in GB&I is a significant issue”.
Since the R&A and USGA launched the WHS at the end of 2019, the system has faced continued criticism in some quarters, with English players who responded to an R&A survey in 2024 saying parts of the system were too complex compared to the old CONGU UHS and that it relied heavily on honesty. Manipulation was the most mentioned issue.
Mark Darbon: World Handicap System is ‘really positive’ for golf
Addressing the media in his pre-Open press conference, Darbon was asked by NCG’s Tom Irwin what scale the issue “would need to reach in order for you to act and change the terms of WHS rather than continue down an education route”.
He replied: “We believe that the World Handicap System is a really positive thing for the game of golf on a global basis.
“There’s definitely some noise around it within the UK specifically. More so, in fact, than in many other markets.
“So we’ve got a very tight dialogue with national federations of the home unions that we work with. We believe that education at the moment is the right method.
“People need to understand the system, and we’d ask them to display integrity when using the handicap system. We’re confident that we’re making progress, so that’s our plan at the moment.”
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Darbon was also asked about England Golf’s Championship Entry Policy.
Since 2023, in over-subscribed events, players can be assessed to look at the differences between their competition score differentials and general play differentials. This happens when a player has more than four general play scores in their most recent 20. Where a difference of more than two strokes is identified, a player will be told their entry into the championship has been denied.
The policy can also refuse entry if a handicap record has fewer than four competition scores, or an incomplete handicap record.
Questioned on whether this was the “direction of travel” and if a “two-speed system” might come into play for the WHS, he added: “Ultimately those decisions around their own championship[s] are for their own federations in their own market. We, of course, have a great dialogue with them.
“We’re supportive of what England Golf have done, and we’ll continue to monitor it moving forward.”
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