What essential information must be included on a scorecard in stroke play competition?

A scorecard is a critical component in stroke play competition, as it serves to record each competitor's individual strokes for every hole throughout the round. Including the competitor's name and the date is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it ties the scorecard to the individual player, ensuring accountability and traceability of the scores recorded. This is vital in case of disputes or errors, as it allows for verification of the player’s performance.

Furthermore, the date signifies the specific tournament round being played, which can be important for historical records, tournament integrity, and future references. While other information, such as scores from the tournament, weather conditions, tee times, course distance, and par information, can be relevant, they are not strictly required for the scorecard in the context of a stroke play competition. The player's name and the date are the fundamental elements that must be present to validate the scores recorded during official play.