Friday at 6 p.m. is when golf pool missed cut penalty rules go from theoretical to urgent. Someone's Tier 5 pick shot 78–76. He's going home. Half the pool thinks that should cost him +8 strokes. The other half thinks he should get a fixed 80 for the weekend. Nobody wrote it down on Wednesday. Now it's your problem.
Why this argument happens every year
Tiered pools give everyone at least one pick from the bottom of the board. That's the fun part. Those golfers also miss the cut more often than the favorites. Without a published penalty, a missed cut either destroys a lineup or barely registers — depending on who's explaining it and whether they're winning.
A good penalty hurts, but predictably. People should know the cost before they click submit.
Flat penalty
The most common approach: add a fixed number of strokes when a golfer misses the cut. +8 or +10 total is typical.
Say your four counting picks are at –6, –2, +1, and missed cut. With a +10 penalty, that last spot counts as +10 toward your total. Simple enough to explain in a text message.
On The Money List, commissioners set the penalty at pool creation — 0 through 10 strokes, +10 as the default. The board applies it the same way for everyone.
Fixed round scores
Older pools sometimes assign a set score for rounds a golfer doesn't play — 80 strokes for Saturday and Sunday, or +10 per missed round. Spreadsheet people like this because it feels concrete. It can produce weird totals next to to-par scoring. If you go this route, show one worked example in your rules email.
Withdrawals, disqualifications, and the no-cut week
Withdrawal before Round 1: most groups treat it like a missed cut. Withdrawal during play: freeze the score where it stood. Disqualification: commissioner's call, often same as missed cut.
Some events don't cut the field — certain playoff stops, limited-field invites. If you're running a pool that week, say clearly that there's no cut and nobody gets a Friday penalty.
What to put in the invite
One paragraph. Something like: "Missed cut = +10 strokes added to that golfer's to-par total. WD before Round 1 gets the same. Ties broken by best Sunday score."
Then post a worked example before lock: "Your Tier 5 pick finishes +4 and misses the cut. With a +10 penalty, that pick counts as +14." Concrete numbers end most debates before they start.
Set it once when you create the pool and let the leaderboard handle the rest.
Ready to run your pool? Set your missed-cut penalty when you create the pool — The Money List applies it on the live board all weekend.
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