Ever glanced at a golf leaderboard and seen the letters 'DNS' next to a player's name, leaving you scratching your head? While you're likely familiar with terms like birdies and bogeys, this is one of those administrative acronyms that can cause confusion. This article will clear everything up, explaining exactly what DNS means, the most common reasons a player records one, and how it differs from other leaderboard statuses like WD, DNF, and DQ.
In golf, DNS stands for "Did Not Start." It’s as direct as it sounds. This acronym is used on a scoreboard or leaderboard when a player was officially registered and scheduled to compete in a tournament but, for one reason or another, did not hit their first tee shot to begin their round.
Think of it like being on the roster for a team's game but never getting off the bench, or more accurately, not even making it to the stadium. The player's name is on the initial pairings sheet, they have an assigned tee time, and they are expected to play. However, when their time arrives, they are not on the first tee ready to go. Once their tee time officially passes without them starting, tournament officials will mark them as a DNS.
It's important to remember that this player didn't quit mid-round or get kicked out, they simply never began the competition in the first place.
You might wonder why a professional golfer, whose job it is to play, would fail to start a tournament they're entered in. While frustrating for the player and their fans, the reasons are almost always legitimate and understandable. Life, both personal and professional, can get in the way.
This is arguably the most frequent cause for a DNS. Golf might look like a leisurely walk in the park, but the explosive and repetitive motion of the swing puts immense strain on the body. A sudden injury can happen at any time.
Sometimes, life takes precedence over golf. Players have families and lives outside the ropes, and an emergency can pull them away from the course at a moment's notice. This could be anything from a sudden illness in the family to attending to an urgent personal matter back home. Usually, in these sensitive situations, the player or their team will simply cite "personal reasons" for the withdrawal without going into specific detail, and their status will be officially marked as DNS.
Professional golf is a global Caddie. Players jet-set from country to country, and that much travel invites potential chaos. A DNS can easily result from logistical nightmares.
Less commonly, a player might DNS for strategic reasons. This is often the case for players who are "on the bubble" for getting into a bigger event. For example, a player might be scheduled to play on a secondary tour but is also listed as an alternate for a major PGA Tour event that same week. If another player withdraws from the bigger event at the last minute, our player might get the call-up. They would then DNS from the smaller tournament to take advantage of the better opportunity.
This is where most of the confusion arises for golf fans. DNS is just one of several acronyms that signifies a player didn't complete a tournament. Understanding the distinction between them will make you a much more informed spectator.
The key difference between DNS and WD (Withdrew) is the first tee shot.
A player can withdraw between rounds (e.g., they play Round 1 but withdraw before Round 2 begins) or even in the middle of a round due to injury, illness, or poor play. For instance, if a player is +9 through seven holes and tweaks their wrist, they might choose to WD right there on the course. Because they officially started the round, it's a withdrawal, not a DNS.
While DNS and WD are typically voluntary, a DQ (Disqualified) is involuntary. This means the player was removed from the tournament by rules officials for an infraction.
Disqualifications happen for a variety of reasons, many of which are infamous in golf history. These can include:
DNF (Did Not Finish) is a term seen more in amateur events, casual scoring apps, or other sports like running. In the context of professional golf tours like the PGA Tour or DP World Tour, it's essentially the same as a WD. A player who starts a tournament or a round but does not complete it would be officially classified as a WD on the leaderboard. DNF is more generic, WD is the specific, official term used in professional golf.
From a statistical standpoint, a DNS is a non-event. Because the player never hit a shot, they never recorded a score.
So, the next time you see DNS on a golf leaderboard, you'll know it simply means 'Did Not Start.' It signifies a player was scheduled to play but couldn't tee off for various reasons - most often injury, illness, or a personal matter. It's fundamentally different from a player who withdraws mid-tournament (WD) or is removed by officials for a rules breach (DQ).
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