Swedish Minigolf Federation (SBGF) has stopped using the traditional international rule of comparing same scores by “diff” calculations (difference between best round score and worst round score).

From now on, when players get the same total score in Swedish competitions, they will get a tied rank, without any “diff” calculations.

For example: if player A gets scores 26 + 29 = 55 (diff = 3), and player B gets scores 27 + 28 = 55 (diff = 1), the new Swedish rule gives the same tied rank to these two players. (The traditional international rule gives a higher rank to player B, because his diff is smaller than the diff of player A.)

Swedish Minigolf Federation has also decided to stop arranging sudden death play-offs for any ranks lower than 3rd place — not even when these lower ranks receive money prizes.

For example: if players ranked 5th and 6th have the same total score, and the 5th prize is 150 euros and 6th prize is 100 euros, the new Swedish rule gives tied 5th rank and 125 euros to both players. (The traditional international rule would require a sudden death play-off between the players, after which the winner of play-off gets 5th rank and 150 euros, and the loser of play-off gets 6th rank and 100 euros.)

With these new rules, Swedish Minigolf Federation seeks more simplicity and compatibility with golf, where tied scores generally receive a tied rank and shared prize money, and sudden death play-offs are arranged for the first rank of tournament only.

list of changes in Swedish minigolf rules for 2009 (in Swedish language)