The competition stands with 3 players.
It would be a decision for your competitions committee. Our terms of competition state that "competitions with fewer than five entrants may be cancelled".
Does that mean before anyone has teed off or after players have started and then realised there were less than 5 going to play?
They could be cancelled under this provision at any time (with entry fees refunded), but it's unlikely to ever be invoked once entrants have teed off - but the option is there.
What happens to the scores of the players who have started or even finished and entered their scores?
They would still be subject to the rules of handicapping, with rounds needing to be completed and scores submitted unless the course was closed.
I find 2.2 somewhat ambiguous. Certainly if the comp was over 18 holes and 10 holes were completed the card must be returned (2.2a). I am not clear about 2.2b when only 9 holes have been completed when 18 were intended. Should it be returned as if for a 9 hole comp or not returned at all?
If it's stableford I would think so. If medal and you indicated you had started every hole I suspect NDB would be allocated and the holes were valid.
It's 10 holes started but not necessarily (*edit) holed out, which includes any "picked-up" (recorded as net double-bogey for handicapping).
So if you played 9 - hit a ball off the 10th tee and walked in you would have a counting card but not if you walked in after putting out on the 9th!
