There are two distinct matters here. Card signed before the round was finished - no issue. No confirmation of the scores at the end of the round by marker with player - a failure by the marker to meet his responsibilities as detailed in Rule 3.3b(1).
Surely you mean failure of player to certify their scores. The signing of the card beforehand is nothing more than an irrelevant doodle.
You seem to be ignoring the fact that the player has not certified their scores?
To repeat: if a marker signed the player's card prior to the game and then when the game is completed checks and affirms that the scores they have recorded are 100 per cent consistent with what the player has recorded before handing the card over, then the marker has fully completed all certification requirements of 3.3b(1). If you don't believe that to be the case, I can only suggest you send in your question so you can hear the same answer from the ruling body.
In the scenario I put forward, this has not been done - the reason for this specific scenario is that many players go on blind faith or only ever verify gross/nett/Stableford totals.
You seem to be suggesting that signing the card (player and/or marker) in advance is acceptable; I am saying that while that is technically true, it is also a meaningless action (not just bad practice) as it does not constitute certifying the scores.
This is the problem. Checking and certifying the gross hole scores are the requirement; verifying anything else is superfluous, but not verifying the hole scores is asking for trouble, especially in Stableford when people often say how many points they achieved on each hole.
I haven't personally seen this issue but agree people can find multiple ways to submit a score card incorrectly. But your example is not a failure to certify - it is about incorrectly filling in a card. And that failure has nothing to do with whether the marker signed the card before or after the round.
Remember, it's the Committee's responsibility to total the 18 gross hole scores and to determine the Stableford points. Player and marker are only certifying the 18 individual gross hole scores. How many time has a marker put the correct score in for the wrong hole(s) and the total ends up the same, or the player/marker just adds up the numbers incorrectly? My advice - keep it simple and do what the Rules require.
Is that not pretty much confirm the point jim was making. In other words, the player did not do what the rules require (certify the 18 individual scores), thus losing out in winning the competition due to entry of the wrong gross scores?
