Match Play Horror Stories

slingerz

ChippingSodbury wrote: »

Be way longer off the tee is nice: then you have the choice of whether or not you want to outdrive him e.g. playing iron/ 3wd from tee. If you can't outdrive him, that choice isn't available! Somtimes you can really intimidate someone by being loooong but it also works the other way: getting it in close first can get a fella thinking...so really depends on who you're playing!

There should only be one policy on conceding putts: if you're ABSOLUTELY sure he can't miss, then concede it, otherwise see the putt. Don't ever be upset being asked to take a short putt. Happy smiley face after every putt drops no matter what length. Never let you opponent get inside your head: it always ends badly!!

Everyone should have a rulebook in their bag, they're free. I have one but don;t bring my glasses so no good to me!!

Seve OB wrote: »

prefer.... be on the fairway... or in play at the very least. dont worry about who plays first into the green.

watch where the shots are given/conceded

always have a rule book... or the app - book is handier if you need to look something up straight away though

no policy for conceding, if it's tricky, make him putt it. if its a tap in, give it. if it is to win the match...... always make him take it

Driving is the strong point of my game, generally longer and with a good percentage of being in the fairway/first cut. Course its being held on isnt the longest but does have a premium for accuracy off the tee. To be honest in qualifying it was the first time i have ever played reasonably well around there.

The matchplay is off scratch i believe so should not be a bother with shots being given/conceded thankfully.

prawnsambo

I remember watching Jim Furyk and Rory McIlroy playing in the WGC Matchplay event and marvelling at the mind games that Jim Furyk used to try and get at McIlroy. Furyk is such a great player and such a wily competitor, it was a joy to watch him. He could never drive the ball as far as Rory, but he used his shortest tee shot 'honour' to great effect in hitting his second shot as close to the pin as possible. On many occasions they were absolute peaches, putting all the pressure on McIlroy.

And when he had the honour on the tee, he faffed about with his ball, his tee, the yardage book, the state of the tee box and anything else he could do to take as long as possible and try and frustrate McIlroy. You couldn't help but admire his efforts to try and get the best outcome. He also got Fluff (his caddy) to watch Rory's putts if they were on the same line. He lost though.

Webbs

A famous Walker cup match between Wolstenholme and a certain Tiger Woods who was world amateur No1 at the time. Woods was outdriving his opponent by upto 100yds at times but Wolstenholme stuck with him, hitting greens and putting the pressure on Woods to eventually win on the 18th

charlieIRL

Fantastic and knowledgeable comments lads, but we're gone miles off topic here.

If i get a minute I'll grab all the rules posts and put then into a rules discussion topic and we can continue from there.

Russman

Not sure if it counts as a horror story or not, probably not, more an insight into match play mind games, but I remember playing a SC match many moons ago against someone I probably wasn’t expected to beat, he was off +1 and I was a lowly 3 handicapper at the time.

Anyway we’re on the 11th and he’s 2 up, but he carves his second off into the undergrowth while I’m maybe 50 yards short in two. He finds his ball and is wandering around looking for, I dunno, a GUR sign, a white line, the Easter bunny, anything, to try get a free drop. Eventually he came up with some reason why he should get one, to be honest I can’t even remember what it was, but it was fairly tenuous. His father appeared and of course loudly agreed with him and came over to me to tell me it was correct and that the “exact same thing” had happened to his son in “the West a few weeks ago” and the referee agreed bla, bla. You had to be there really but it was clearly an attempt to, maybe not intimidate, but let me know my place. They were both so shocked when I shrugged my shoulders and said fair enough, and didn’t put up any fight, it was almost funny. I think not getting a rise out of me threw them completely. I suspect by not giving them an argument he had no outlet for his annoyance and had to stew over his bad shot.
I had just decided before going out that I wasn’t getting into any rules dispute and possibly upsetting myself. Worked too as I up and downed it for the win and managed to sneak 3 of the next 5 holes and close it out.
I still bump into him on occasion 10/12 years later and we have a good laugh, which I think is really what inter-club should be about.

FixdePitchmark

Russman wrote: »

Not sure if it counts as a horror story or not, probably not, more an insight into match play mind games, but I remember playing a SC match many moons ago against someone I probably wasn’t expected to beat, he was off +1 and I was a lowly 3 handicapper at the time.

Anyway we’re on the 11th and he’s 2 up, but he carves his second off into the undergrowth while I’m maybe 50 yards short in two. He finds his ball and is wandering around looking for, I dunno, a GUR sign, a white line, the Easter bunny, anything, to try get a free drop. Eventually he came up with some reason why he should get one, to be honest I can’t even remember what it was, but it was fairly tenuous. His father appeared and of course loudly agreed with him and came over to me to tell me it was correct and that the “exact same thing” had happened to his son in “the West a few weeks ago” and the referee agreed bla, bla. You had to be there really but it was clearly an attempt to, maybe not intimidate, but let me know my place. They were both so shocked when I shrugged my shoulders and said fair enough, and didn’t put up any fight, it was almost funny. I think not getting a rise out of me threw them completely. I suspect by not giving them an argument he had no outlet for his annoyance and had to stew over his bad shot.
I had just decided before going out that I wasn’t getting into any rules dispute and possibly upsetting myself. Worked too as I up and downed it for the win and managed to sneak 3 of the next 5 holes and close it out.
I still bump into him on occasion 10/12 years later and we have a good laugh, which I think is really what inter-club should be about.

Jaysus Russman - good stuff, you must be handy off 8 or so these days.


Ya bleeding bandit :D

Russman

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Jaysus Russman - good stuff, you must be handy off 8 or so these days.


Ya bleeding bandit :D

Ah sure I was only a young fella back then, the body is old and weak these days !!

Determined to get back to 7 though

FixdePitchmark

Was in a matchplay event - I won't name names.

Anyway - we got off to a good start - was a 4 ball. Two of us were in very good form and were considered a certain win. As we all know, no such thing.
We were up against 2 guys about 20 years older - incredible golfers and very high teens in the handicaps. I was off 6 at the time and playing partner 10 - they were outdriving us on every hole hitting every fairway and incredible putting. It was an impossible task.

On the 4th hole – things went so bad it was bizarre – both of us hit excellent drives but mine just ran out into trouble. My playing partner hit a great drive – but in my eyes it leaked right – I got him to hit a provisional that also went a bit right.

When we got to the fairway the two lads stood right next to a ball in the middle of the fairway – this made us think it was his and we went crazy looking for the other balls as I was dead. In the end we ended up hitting the wrong ball with a perfectly good ball available in the middle of the fairway. It was our own fault (but the ball we found was the same make and markings – but the event just set everything off on the wrong path.

Next hole we were not talking as so pissed off – and then this is when the dirt started.

Every time we were on a green – the bad cop in other group would just before you hit say – this is your 4ht shot and for a win –this is your 5th shot and for a ½ - this is your 5th if you miss this you lose another hole – “what the ****” – lol. It was brilliant.

We said – would you mind not talking when we are in our putting routine ?
He said sorry.

Next hole – he is at it again – but I make a 25 footer – he turns and says, off your handicap you should make them.

Then the lad off I think 16 birdies an incredibly difficult dog leg par 4 and – the energy is just gone.

My playing partner at the time was the bad cop - he got down and dirty – but funny enough that is the kind of atmosphere that doesn’t suit my game. I’m very competitive – but not sure I like getting dirty in a game.

My playing partner was a bit angry after it, stormed off and I was left with the two lads – bought them a pint. Was a funny day – nasty and you were sort of left feeling after it. Is that what match play is about.

spacecoyote

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Was in a matchplay event - I won't name names.

Anyway - we got off to a good start - was a 4 ball. Two of us were in very good form and were considered a certain win. As we all know, no such thing.
We were up against 2 guys about 20 years older - incredible golfers and very high teens in the handicaps. I was off 6 at the time and playing partner 10 - they were outdriving us on every hole hitting every fairway and incredible putting. It was an impossible task.

On the 4th hole – things went so bad it was bizarre – both of us hit excellent drives but mine just ran out into trouble. My playing partner hit a great drive – but in my eyes it leaked right – I got him to hit a provisional that also went a bit right.

When we got to the fairway the two lads stood right next to a ball in the middle of the fairway – this made us think it was his and we went crazy looking for the other balls as I was dead. In the end we ended up hitting the wrong ball with a perfectly good ball available in the middle of the fairway. It was our own fault (but the ball we found was the same make and markings – but the event just set everything off on the wrong path.

Next hole we were not talking as so pissed off – and then this is when the dirt started.

Every time we were on a green – the bad cop in other group would just before you hit say – this is your 4ht shot and for a win –this is your 5th shot and for a ½ - this is your 5th if you miss this you lose another hole – “what the ****” – lol. It was brilliant.

We said – would you mind not talking when we are in our putting routine ?
He said sorry.

Next hole – he is at it again – but I make a 25 footer – he turns and says, off your handicap you should make them.

Then the lad off I think 16 birdies an incredibly difficult dog leg par 4 and – the energy is just gone.

My playing partner at the time was the bad cop - he got down and dirty – but funny enough that is the kind of atmosphere that doesn’t suit my game. I’m very competitive – but not sure I like getting dirty in a game.

My playing partner was a bit angry after it, stormed off and I was left with the two lads – bought them a pint. Was a funny day – nasty and you were sort of left feeling after it. Is that what match play is about.

I have never heard about this story before Fix & have no recollection of meeting any post-match angry golfers in a clubhouse

<_<
>_>

Golfgraffix

FixdePitchmark wrote: »

Was in a matchplay event - I won't name names. .

Feck off you !!!

Lesson learned, always trust your gut. With the bad light that day it was hard to see the flight but i know i had hit a decent enough drive.

And I was picking the kids up, not going home angry !!!

J

stockdam

.Just an example of why you shouldn't give up.

It was a society matchplay and on one hole I messed up and had to hit 3 off the tee. I was on the green in 4, on the wrong tier and a long way from the hole with a downhole putt with 4 feet of break. The guy I was playing against was on the green in 3 and much closer to the hole so there was very little chance of me getting anything from the hole.

I rolled the ball down to a couple of feet and eventually holed out for a 6. My opponent then just needed to two putt from about 10 feet (level putt and no problem lagging it to a foot). He proceeded to 4 putt and I walked off with a win.

I had nearly given up all hope. I guess that this was a one in a thousand chance as I don't know if I've seen many players 3 putt from 10 feet on a level green let alone 4 putt.

So all you can do is to play your best shot and see what happens.

StabiloBoss

Heard a good one recently, serious enough inter-club.

This lad hitting up over a blind hill, but his opponent is in a position ahead to see where the ball goes. Anyway, he knows he has't hit a good shot but was amazed to see his opponent punch the air and wildly embrace his caddie. Thought it was terrible showing and his caddie thought even worse.

Anyway, as they're walking up preparing to let them know what they thought of this behavior they're met by a completely mortified opponent heading down towards them. Turns out he managed another team and had just got word from the captain that they'd won their match elsewhere. Worst possible timing and he was hugely apologetic. It was his caddie who realised how it must have looked from the other perspective.

Game finished in good spirits.

dball

they are not always horror stories if you are lucky.

This could have been a lot worse if it were 2 seriously competitive players.

I played last year in a matrchplay event - I can't remember if I struggled back from the brink of defeat or if my opponent had fought his way back (its all a blur from 1 - 13)
I do remember thinking on the 14th that we better get a move on as it was getting dark.

It was July or August and was well after 9.30 pm

Im standing on the 18th teebox 1 up.
My opponent drives the ball long and straight into the darkness.
Im up next and i hit an identical shot - long and straight into the middle of the fairway (so we both thought)

Walking up the 18th and visibility is 50 yds at most and there are no balls to be seen anywhere???

I see a ball in the fairway bunker at the same time my opponent does - he identifies it as his and plays his second well up the fair way (par 5 )

We find my ball about 10 yds after the bunker.

I go up to my ball and all i'm thinking is this has to go straight as it's gotten so dark now that anything off line is gone

I address the ball and i see a marking on the ball that isn't mine - I mention this to my opponent and he tells me its his ball.:eek:

He has to go and get the ball he hit and bring it back to the bunker for me to play my ball from said bunker. He is penalised (2 shots from memory) and

I'm back in the frikking bunker addressing my ball thinking all i have to do is get this out of the bunker and keep it straight towards the fairway and the match is mine.
(This is where matchplay brain farts happen - when you start thinking about the finish line)

This is the moment I manage to slice/hook/sky/top/thin/duff the ball into the darkness. Ive no idea where the ball went and all i can do is listen for it to land somewhere in the hope i can sense the direction.


needless to say I lost the hole and we tossed a coin in the bar over a pint to decide the winner.

That could have been a nasty 18th hole but it was all played in true sportsmanship and we had some laugh -

GreeBo

^^^
Doh, you won that hole, it's loss of hole in match play!

dball

maybe i was 1 down - cant remember
won the toss anyway

JJTippBhoy

Many years ago I was playing in an inter club fourball better ball competition. My partner was out of the hole & it was my turn to putt.
1 of their caddie's tended the flag & I putted to within 2 feet.
As I got up to my ball he (caddie) says that's good. Take it away. I did. However my opponent putted & then proceeded to ask where my ball was. When I told him his caddie had conceded the hole he told me that was not his call & we lost the hole.
I know he was right but I think it was a pre-planned strategy by them.
We went on to win the match on 18th but it left a bad taste.

kiers47

JJTippBhoy wrote: »

Many years ago I was playing in an inter club fourball better ball competition. My partner was out of the hole & it was my turn to putt.
1 of their caddie's tended the flag & I putted to within 2 feet.
As I got up to my ball he (caddie) says that's good. Take it away. I did. However my opponent putted & then proceeded to ask where my ball was. When I told him his caddie had conceded the hole he told me that was not his call & we lost the hole.
I know he was right but I think it was a pre-planned strategy by them.
We went on to win the match on 18th but it left a bad taste.

You were duked pretty badly. That is a pretty scummy thing to do.

Also not much good now. But there is no penalty for this. You can replace the ball and hole out as you genuinely believed the putt to be conceded.
Actually if the caddy had moved it your opponent would receive a one stroke penalty.

stockdam

Another story about playing the wrong ball.

I was playing in a very tight match and I think we were level at the time (8th hole?).

My opponent carved a ball into the bushes and then followed that with a poor provisional shot. He lost his first.
I hit a safe shot into the light rough on the right. I walked to where my ball was but couldn't find it. My opponent then called out that it was just on the fringe of the rough and yes there it was. I did think it was further into the rough but maybe it struck a tree and bounced back. My opponent played on and took a 7 or so.

I ended the hole with a par to go one up. I picked the ball out of the hole and then realised that it wasn't my ball. It was the same make and number but it didn't have my mark on it. So I had to declare that I had played the wrong ball. There's no way that my original ball was lost but I had mistakenly played the wrong one.

I looked back to where my ball was and saw that somebody was on the adjacent practice ground and hitting balls right across our fairway!. One of his shots must have hit a tree and landed in the semi rough.
Hence from thinking that I was one up, I was now one down. I fought back to level and we went down a tie hole which I lost. It was all down to playing the wrong ball. It actually annoyed me for several holes so I probably lost at least one more hole that I should have won.

harpsman

Russman wrote: »

Worst I've seen (as a spectator) was an older guy claiming a hole off a kid in a match on the basis of a comment the kid made to a supporter along the lines of "I see the pin is right up the back of this green" to which the supporter replied something like "yeah they're up the back of a lot of the greens today". The old guy said the kid was getting advice, so picked up his ball, said he was claiming the hole and walked to the next tee. Despite the rules explicitly stating that information about a pin position is not advice.

Unfortunately the kid didn't know any better and there was no one around to fight his corner for him.

Club at least, should be named and shamed

augustus gloop

Pennant match play in Canberra Australia.
Member of my club driver his ball into the water. He was playing a pro v 1x.
He drops and plays the hole out, and rescues a half.
Upon taking his ball out of the hole his opponent asks to see the ball.
The ball was a pro v 1. Opponent claimed the hole as he did not finish the hole with the same (make) of ball he started with.
Rule stood, he lost the match 1 down.
Correct ruling but crappy way to win.

billy3sheets

augustus gloop wrote: »

Pennant match play in Canberra Australia.
Member of my club driver his ball into the water. He was playing a pro v 1x.
He drops and plays the hole out, and rescues a half.
Upon taking his ball out of the hole his opponent asks to see the ball.
The ball was a pro v 1. Opponent claimed the hole as he did not finish the hole with the same (make) of ball he started with.
Rule stood, he lost the match 1 down.
Correct ruling but crappy way to win.

What rule is this? I couldn't find any reference to such a rule.
I always carry a provisional in my pocket and its always a different brand than my primary ball so as to avoid any confusion.

RoadRunner

augustus gloop wrote: »

Correct ruling

Really? I literally never play the same type of ball for a drop. Purposefully not, so if I find the original I can easily tell the difference. Is that wrong?

Mushy

augustus gloop wrote: »

Pennant match play in Canberra Australia.
Member of my club driver his ball into the water. He was playing a pro v 1x.
He drops and plays the hole out, and rescues a half.
Upon taking his ball out of the hole his opponent asks to see the ball.
The ball was a pro v 1. Opponent claimed the hole as he did not finish the hole with the same (make) of ball he started with.
Rule stood, he lost the match 1 down.
Correct ruling but crappy way to win.

That's a rule? I thought after it goes in water you can use whatever ball you want? Unless he retrieved it? Which just makes it a terrible rule

GreeBo

Mushy wrote: »

That's a rule? I thought after it goes in water you can use whatever ball you want? Unless he retrieved it? Which just makes it a terrible rule

Only if the One Ball Condition is in effect.

See c) in below link.

https://www.randa.org/Rules-of-Golf/Appendices/Appendix-IPartB-Conditions-of-the-Competition/1-Specification-of-Clubs-and-the-Ball

Typically its only used during Professional rounds, I've never seen it in an GUI comp for example.

kiers47

It was not a provisional though. He said the other ball ended up in a hazard.

This is certainly not a rule.
If you are taking a penalty for entering a hazard you can drop any brand of conforming ball under penalty of 1 stroke using the correct options for the hazard type.

kiers47

GreeBo wrote: »

Only if the One Ball Condition is in effect.

See c) in below link.

https://www.randa.org/Rules-of-Golf/Appendices/Appendix-IPartB-Conditions-of-the-Competition/1-Specification-of-Clubs-and-the-Ball

Typically its only used during Professional rounds, I've never seen it in an GUI comp for example.

Good spot.
Ive read it but Ive never seen this in effect anywhere. Sher you would probably have every club golfer in the country DQ'd at some point during the season if this rule was put in place. :pac:

Felexicon

augustus gloop wrote: »

Pennant match play in Canberra Australia.
Member of my club driver his ball into the water. He was playing a pro v 1x.
He drops and plays the hole out, and rescues a half.
Upon taking his ball out of the hole his opponent asks to see the ball.
The ball was a pro v 1. Opponent claimed the hole as he did not finish the hole with the same (make) of ball he started with.
Rule stood, he lost the match 1 down.
Correct ruling but crappy way to win.

If someone called me on that I would walk over, shake their hand, concede the match and just play the remaining holes on my own.



And obviously bad mouth him around the club for the rest of time.

HighLine

It's a silly rule indeed and I've never heard of it in any amateur golf competition.

I do remember Mickelson got done over by the one ball rule in the President's Cup some years back. And what made it more silly for him was that the rule was only in play for a certain format (i.e. foursomes.... can't remember which) whilst it was not in force for the other formats of the President's Cup.

Mushy

Always good to learn. I'll just have to be strict on where I lose my pro v1s now before using the Pinnacles

ForeRight

augustus gloop wrote: »

Pennant match play in Canberra Australia.
Member of my club driver his ball into the water. He was playing a pro v 1x.
He drops and plays the hole out, and rescues a half.
Upon taking his ball out of the hole his opponent asks to see the ball.
The ball was a pro v 1. Opponent claimed the hole as he did not finish the hole with the same (make) of ball he started with.
Rule stood, he lost the match 1 down.
Correct ruling but crappy way to win.

There are some very very sad people playing golf. I'd actually feel sorry for the guy who claimed that hole.
Pathetic man.