What Is the Knuth Tournament Point System?
Dean Knuth, was past Senior Director of USGA who also developed the USGA Slope system and the USGA Course Rating system you see in place for every course in the United States. That 69.0/117…is his invention. In January 1992, Section 10-3 of the USGA Handicap System manual, Reduction of USGA Handicap Index Based on Exceptional Tournament Scores, was put into effect. Section 10-3 is designed to reduce the Handicap Index of a player who scores much better in tournaments than in casual play.
Knuth, in reviewing net tournament results and addressing concerns from member clubs, came to the conclusion that Section 10-3 may not be doing enough to ensure that all competitors are competing on any equal basis.
Background
Created by Dean Knuth, a key figure behind the USGA’s Course Rating and Slope systems.
Introduced as an enhancement to the USGA's "Exceptional Tournament Scores" (Section 10-3, added in 1992).
It’s designed to promote fairness by adjusting handicaps for repeat top performers in club tournaments.
How It Works
Points Allocation
Points are awarded for net finish places, usually among top performers in a tournament or flight. See Knuth Points Allocation Table below:
Rolling Two-Year Period
Points accumulate over a rolling two-year span (some clubs use shorter windows, like 12 months). As new tournament results are added, older ones drop offHandicap Reductions
Based on accumulated points, clubs apply reductions to a player's tournament handicap (not their official USGA Handicap Index).
Example breakdown:
~7 points → –2 strokes
More points → deeper reductions (–3, –4 strokes, etc.)
Why It Matters
Fairer Competition: Prevents players who consistently outperform from dominating—by giving top performers handicap penalties just for tournaments, not their overall index.
Promotes Balance: Encourages more participation and more equal competition among club members.
Flexible: Clubs can adapt parameters to their member size, event frequency, or preferred timeframes.
