Wednesday, August 23
The Battle at Bighorn is a match-play event. Regular PGA Tour events are contested as stroke, or medal, play. Here's an explanation of some common terms you're likely to hear during Monday's broadcast:Match play
Competition is scored by number of holes won rather than strokes in an 18-hole round. Scores are not kept, instead keeping track of how many holes each player has won. This is the format used in the Ryder Cup and major amateur competitions.All-square
When an individual match or the entire competition is tied. In other words, Player A has won four holes and Player B has won four holes. The score is said to be all-square, not 4-4.Up/Down
Used to describe which player is leading or trailing in a match. In other words, if Player A has won four holes and Player B has won two holes, then Player A is considered 2-up, or Player B is 2-down.Through
Used in conjunction with up/down. In other words, if a player is "2-up through 10," he leads by two holes with 10 holes complete.Dormie
When one player is up by the exact number of holes that remain. The best the player who trails can do is tie. In other words, Player A is 3-up after 15 holes, meaning there are only three holes remaining. Final scoring
If a match goes 18 holes, the final score is simply all square for a tie, 1-up or 2-up. But most matches often end before 18 holes are complete. For instance, if Player A is 3-up with two holes to play, then Player B cannot catch up. Therefore the match is complete, and the final score would be 3-and-2. The first number represents the lead, while the second number signifies how many holes remained.Halve:
When both players get the same score on a hole. Or, when a complete 18-hole match ends up all-square. In team competitions, each team gets a half point for the match.Concede
Unlike tournament play, in match play a player can give his opponent a shot. This usually happens on a short putt and helps speed up play. It can also occur when one player has hit into the water or out-of-bounds and realizes he will lose the hole.
FAQs
Match play. Competition is scored by number of holes won rather than strokes in an 18-hole round. Scores are not kept, instead keeping track of how many holes each player has won. This is the format used in the Ryder Cup and major amateur competitions.
How do you read a match play scorecard? ›
The first number in such a score tells you the number of holes by which the winner is victorious, and the second number tells you the hole on which the match ended. So "2 and 1" means that the winner was 2 holes ahead with 1 hole to play (the match ended after No.
What does 3&2 mean in match play? ›
It means one player is up by 3 holes with only 2 holes to play, therefore the match is over as it's impossible for the other player to win enough holes to win the match, since there are only 2 left, and the other player is up by 3, even if he wins both holes, the other guy still is up by one hole.
How do I read my match play scores? ›
So "2 and 1" means that the winner was two holes ahead with one hole to play (the match ended after No. 17), "3 and 2" means three holes ahead to with two holes to play (the match ended after No. 16), and so on. So "1-up" means the match went the full 18 holes, and a score such as "2 and 1" means it ended early.
What does 5&3 mean in match play? ›
Match play Format - rules for match play golf with handicaps
| The Terms | Match Play Explanation |
|---|
| All-square | Match is equal |
| 2 Up | 2 hole ahead |
| 3 down | 3 holes behind |
| 5&3 | 5 holes ahead with only 3 holes left to play. Wins on the 15th Hole |
The same concept applies for scores like 3 & 2 or 4 & 3 — the lead was one bigger than the remaining holes. 3 & 1: This means that one player had a two-shot lead going into the 17th hole, and won that hole — so they won by three and there was just a single hole to play.
How does the match play format work? ›
Topic Overview: Match play is a form of play where a player (or players) plays directly against an opponent (or opponents) in a head-to-head match. You win a hole by completing it in the fewest number of strokes, and you win a match when you are winning by more holes than remain to be played.
What does 4 and 3 mean in match play golf? ›
The match will carry on until one player/team leads by more holes that there are left to play, so what is known as a '4 and 3' victory would mean a side is four holes up (4 up) with three holes left to play and there aren't enough holes left for their opponent to overturn the deficit.
How to fill out a golf scorecard? ›
The gross score (your actual strokes played) goes on top. Then, on holes where you are taking a stroke, write your net score (your actual strokes minus any handicap strokes) below the gross score. When you tally up the total, again write your gross score on top and net score below the gross.
What does 1up mean in golf? ›
1up, 2up, 3up etc:
1up means that the player has won 1 hole more than the opponent, 2up means 2 holes etc. As a final score it means that the match went the full 18 holes and the winner has won 1 hole more than the opponent.
dor·mie ˈdȯr-mē variants or dormy. : being ahead by as many holes in golf as remain to be played in match play.
What does +1 mean in golf? ›
A score of one stroke more than par (+1) for a hole is known as a bogey, e.g. 4 strokes to complete a par 3 hole or 6 strokes on a par 5 hole.
Can you putt a conceded putt in match play? ›
A concession is final and cannot be declined or withdrawn. Thus, any stroke he or she makes after the concession would be considered practice, which is permitted in match play (Rule 5.5).
How to win match play golf? ›
A common match-play strategy is to concede short putts early, only to make your partner putt them late in the round. Though that can work on occasion, this writer opts for the opposite approach. Make them hit the knee-knockers early. If they miss, you're given an early gift and know they need to keep putting them.
