hotcarrie:
my average was moving a little provided i shot -5 or better. my first game today i shot a 31 -5 on st andrews and it did not move at all. so i can only assume that i now need to score -6 to move my average.
Does anyone know if this can be right? i have never heard anyone saying that they need -6 or better to lower their average
Everyone's average is unique, in that they are computed from an individual's x number of best scores (depending on their tier). Therefore, everyone's average will change, or not change, depending on what ALL of their previous best scores are. For simplicity's sake, let's say the number of required ranked rounds (x) -- at which your average stops going up -- is 5.
Player A's best scores are 65, 65, 67, 68 and 72. Average: 67.4
Player B: 64, 67, 68, 68, 70. Average: 67.4
If Player A shoots 68, her average will now drop to 66.6, the average of her new best scores of 65, 65, 67, 68 and 72 68 (even though the 68 is higher than her average.)
If Player B shoots a 68, his average will drop slightly less (to 67.0), because the new 68 is replacing a 70, not a 72.
However, both A and B now have to shoot better than 68 to lower their average, because that is now their highest best score. (The math will all change each time you shoot a score that is better than your highest best score).
If your highest best score is 5 under par, then you would have to shoot better than that to lower your "average."