2025 knock out matches - tales of death or glory

My wife and I won the club's inaugural mixed greensomes knockout a little while back. Won't bore you with a hole by hole commentary, but we were 2 down with 2 to play and thought we were dead and buried. Then we won 17, 18 and the first playoff hole 😃 (Or to be more accurate, our opponents lost them. Neither side covered itself in glory).
 
It’s the 2nd round of our Winter Knockout we have both had bye’s in the first round. Off the Silver Tees I am getting 5 shots from my opponent C (12 vs 7), we are starting on the 10th due to a Halloween comp for the women’s section, there are a number Witches and Pumpkin outfits being worn on the putting green.

10th Hole Par 3 – Need to carry 180 yds to avoid the wrap around bunker guarding the front and right side of the green. I have the honour first shot of the day so I club up but didn’t need to I catch it nicely and the ball finishes back left leaving a 45ft putt. C scuffs one off the tee 20 yds, which stops just before the heather that runs the full length of the hole. C plays his 2nd to 25 ft and we both 2 putt but I take the hole (1 Up)

11th Hole Par 4 – I pull my drive a bit and just escape being in the heather but he is miles down the fairway. I play a hybrid and miss the green just left but I am short sided on the pin. C scuffs his shot and comes up a bit short. He knocks his 3rd to 2ft, and I get up and down to half the hole (1 Up)

12th Hole Par 4 – Shot Hole! I hit the fairway and C pulls it left, I lay up to about 60yds but C hits the trees and then leaves it short after finding a horrific lie under it. I play up onto the green to about 20ft and he concedes (2up)

13th Hole Par 4 – I hit the fairway leaving a 9 iron in, he pulls it left into a heather bank on the left, but it’s in GUR so he gets a nice drop and finds the green. I pull my shot into a bunker and narrowly fail to get up and down. He two putts for the hole (1 Up)

14th Hole Par 4 – Shot hole! We both hit the fairway. I pull my 2nd left but he is on the green. He 2 putts and I once again fail to get up and down but it’s a half. (1 Up)

15th Hole Par 3 – Both hit solid shots to the green to 20ft and then 2 putt. Half (1 Up)

16th Hole Par 4 – Shot Hole. I hit two good shots for me to have cleared the rough that splits the fairway and have about 40yds in. C has hit the fairway and pushed a bit right of the green and is pin high. I punch it in to about 30 ft and then knock close enough. C’s shot on lands about a foot short of where it needed to and only trickles onto the green, leaving a 15ft putt with plenty of break which he holes for the half (1 Up)

17th Hole Par 5 – 2 good shots leave me a 9 iron in from the middle of the fairway. C has some fun down the left of the fairway with the trees but is in the greenside bunker for 3. I shank my 9 iron! Then chip onto about 15ft. C comes out of the bunker but it’s got to much on it and rolls down the slope off back. I two putt and he gets up and down so hole halved (1 Up)

18th Hole Par 4 – 2 good shots and I am on the front of the green, the Pin however is at the back. C has gone left and has a bit of tree interference on the 2nd shot which causes him problems. His 3rd shot goes about 20yds over the back of the green and finds the practice green. I putt up and he fails to get up and down and concedes (2 up)

1st Hole Par 3 – We both miss the green but he gets’ up and down and I don’t. (1 Up)

2nd Hole Par 4 – Shot Hole I hit two good shots and then try a punch in a 9 iron, I’ve shanked it again! Despite once again going left off the tee this time C has avoided the trees and hit the green. He 2 putts and I get up and down (1 Up)

3rd Hole Par 5 – We both hit decent drives but I am giving up 30 yds. My 5w second finds the fairway but his 8 iron goes in the water. In explicably I top my 3rd. After everything we are both eventually on in 4 and halve in 6’s. (1 Up)

4th Hole Par 4 – I hit the fairway and leave myself a 9 iron to the green he is on the green in two. I hit a monster pull about 25 yds left of my target, and my putt for 4 lips out. C makes his 4 and is back level. (A/S)

5th Hole Par 4 – Shot Hole! I find the fairway again but C hit’s a big slice into the trees. We are both on the green for 3, C misses a 40ft putt by inches for a 4 and I lag one to 6 inches for the win. (1 Up)

6th Hole Par 4 – I find the fairway, but C hits a monster that goes over the hill and he’s about a 90yds ahead of me but just off the fairway. I hit my second left but pin high sadly there is a bunker in between my ball and the pin. C in explicably leaves his approach in the front bunker. C play’s a great shot down the length of the green to 6ft. I hit a superb flop shot over the bunker to 8ft and we both hole our putts (1 Up)

7th Hole Par 4 – We both 2 good shots and are on the green. I’m at the back 30 ft from the pin he is at the front 25ft away. I play first and blast my putt 20 ft past, C then blasts his 12ft past. I then play it safe and only knock it 7ft past the hole. What is going with this green? Eventually C takes 2 more putts but I knock mine in and we halve the hole (1 Up).

8th Hole Par 3 – I cut one in to a tricky pin hidden behind a bunker. The ball pitches and spins right off the upper tier of the green down onto the lower tier. C hit’s a solid shot but is on the upper tier leaving him 15 ft down a slope with a fair amount of break, be putts to 2ft, but I’ve got 6ft for a birdie and the match. The putt goes in dead centre. (Won 2&1)

I actually, played well off the tee only missing 2 fairways all day and then not by much, the 9 iron has had a very strong talking to and needs to up it’s game for the weekend.
 
HampshireHog said:
It’s the 2nd round of our Winter Knockout we have both had bye’s in the first round. Off the Silver Tees I am getting 5 shots from my opponent C (12 vs 7), we are starting on the 10th due to a Halloween comp for the women’s section, there are a number Witches and Pumpkin outfits being worn on the putting green.

10th Hole Par 3 – Need to carry 180 yds to avoid the wrap around bunker guarding the front and right side of the green. I have the honour first shot of the day so I club up but didn’t need to I catch it nicely and the ball finishes back left leaving a 45ft putt. C scuffs one off the tee 20 yds, which stops just before the heather that runs the full length of the hole. C plays his 2nd to 25 ft and we both 2 putt but I take the hole (1 Up)

11th Hole Par 4 – I pull my drive a bit and just escape being in the heather but he is miles down the fairway. I play a hybrid and miss the green just left but I am short sided on the pin. C scuffs his shot and comes up a bit short. He knocks his 3rd to 2ft, and I get up and down to half the hole (1 Up)

12th Hole Par 4 – Shot Hole! I hit the fairway and C pulls it left, I lay up to about 60yds but C hits the trees and then leaves it short after finding a horrific lie under it. I play up onto the green to about 20ft and he concedes (2up)

13th Hole Par 4 – I hit the fairway leaving a 9 iron in, he pulls it left into a heather bank on the left, but it’s in GUR so he gets a nice drop and finds the green. I pull my shot into a bunker and narrowly fail to get up and down. He two putts for the hole (1 Up)

14th Hole Par 4 – Shot hole! We both hit the fairway. I pull my 2nd left but he is on the green. He 2 putts and I once again fail to get up and down but it’s a half. (1 Up)

15th Hole Par 3 – Both hit solid shots to the green to 20ft and then 2 putt. Half (1 Up)

16th Hole Par 4 – Shot Hole. I hit two good shots for me to have cleared the rough that splits the fairway and have about 40yds in. C has hit the fairway and pushed a bit right of the green and is pin high. I punch it in to about 30 ft and then knock close enough. C’s shot on lands about a foot short of where it needed to and only trickles onto the green, leaving a 15ft putt with plenty of break which he holes for the half (1 Up)

17th Hole Par 5 – 2 good shots leave me a 9 iron in from the middle of the fairway. C has some fun down the left of the fairway with the trees but is in the greenside bunker for 3. I shank my 9 iron! Then chip onto about 15ft. C comes out of the bunker but it’s got to much on it and rolls down the slope off back. I two putt and he gets up and down so hole halved (1 Up)

18th Hole Par 4 – 2 good shots and I am on the front of the green, the Pin however is at the back. C has gone left and has a bit of tree interference on the 2nd shot which causes him problems. His 3rd shot goes about 20yds over the back of the green and finds the practice green. I putt up and he fails to get up and down and concedes (2 up)

1st Hole Par 3 – We both miss the green but he gets’ up and down and I don’t. (1 Up)

2nd Hole Par 4 – Shot Hole I hit two good shots and then try a punch in a 9 iron, I’ve shanked it again! Despite once again going left off the tee this time C has avoided the trees and hit the green. He 2 putts and I get up and down (1 Up)

3rd Hole Par 5 – We both hit decent drives but I am giving up 30 yds. My 5w second finds the fairway but his 8 iron goes in the water. In explicably I top my 3rd. After everything we are both eventually on in 4 and halve in 6’s. (1 Up)

4th Hole Par 4 – I hit the fairway and leave myself a 9 iron to the green he is on the green in two. I hit a monster pull about 25 yds left of my target, and my putt for 4 lips out. C makes his 4 and is back level. (A/S)

5th Hole Par 4 – Shot Hole! I find the fairway again but C hit’s a big slice into the trees. We are both on the green for 3, C misses a 40ft putt by inches for a 4 and I lag one to 6 inches for the win. (1 Up)

6th Hole Par 4 – I find the fairway, but C hits a monster that goes over the hill and he’s about a 90yds ahead of me but just off the fairway. I hit my second left but pin high sadly there is a bunker in between my ball and the pin. C in explicably leaves his approach in the front bunker. C play’s a great shot down the length of the green to 6ft. I hit a superb flop shot over the bunker to 8ft and we both hole our putts (1 Up)

7th Hole Par 4 – We both 2 good shots and are on the green. I’m at the back 30 ft from the pin he is at the front 25ft away. I play first and blast my putt 20 ft past, C then blasts his 12ft past. I then play it safe and only knock it 7ft past the hole. What is going with this green? Eventually C takes 2 more putts but I knock mine in and we halve the hole (1 Up).

8th Hole Par 3 – I cut one in to a tricky pin hidden behind a bunker. The ball pitches and spins right off the upper tier of the green down onto the lower tier. C hit’s a solid shot but is on the upper tier leaving him 15 ft down a slope with a fair amount of break, be putts to 2ft, but I’ve got 6ft for a birdie and the match. The putt goes in dead centre. (Won 2&1)

I actually, played well off the tee only missing 2 fairways all day and then not by much, the 9 iron has had a very strong talking to and needs to up it’s game for the weekend.
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Well played. If you never score worse than bogey you are always in the hole.

I’m similar handicap to you and it’s the double bogeys which gift the hole to your opponent and lose the match.
 
Third Round of the Winter Knockout, I am giving 1 shot to my opponent L. It's -2 standing on the tee and the course is fully frozen but we need to play before the end of next weekend so let's go.

Starting on the 10th a 180yd par 3 with a huge bunker guarding the front of green is not the 1st shot you want to hit to a frozen green. I trust to luck and hit on to land in the bunker and bounce out. Perfect 1 bounce into the bunker it scoots up the face and onto the green 20ft from the pin. L hit's a huge hook and then takes another 3 shots to get it onto the green, I cosy it up to 2ft (1 up)

11th we both hit decent tee shots but our second shots end up in green side bunkers. He's out onto the green but I take 3 to get out (AS)

12th his shot hole. We both find the fairway but he puts his 2nd into a green side bunker, I've learned my lesson and lay up short of the bunker and to the right of it. I bump with and 8 iron leaves me 12 foot for par. L plays a great shot given the conditions and the ball comes to rest on the back of the green. His first putt comes up 10ft short and I hole for a par, he also holes to half the hole. (AS)

13th hole we both find the fairway, but we have approaches into a raised green. I play first and land in the fringe at the front but no bounce and I've left myself 40ft up the slop of a 2-tier green. L hit's the green and it set's off like a rocket of the surface and finishes well off the green. I 3 putt and he makes a 5 also (AS)

14th hole he finds the fairway and I'm just off the left. His 2nd finds a greenside bunker but I worried about getting a big bounce into OB behind the green and come up short. I bump one up to 8ft and he takes 3 to get out the bunker (1 up)

15th hole par 3. I pull one left into the trees but get a break an it kicks back and drops into the heather. L hooks one left of the green. I force one out of the heather to 4ft short of the green. L plays a nice shot on to 7ft. I hit a great putt from 25 ft that skids across the ice and catches the lip of hole but doesn't drop. L's putt deviates of a piece off ice and I escape with a half. (1 up)

16th hole I hit a great drive and L scuffs one that just makes it onto the fairway. He then scuffs the next one and is only about 20yds past my first. My second is not great but I've got about 40 yds left. I don't see his next shot but I see from his body language he is not happy. I punch a wedge into the fringe and the ball rolls out to the middle of the green. As we wander up to the green L's ball is 80yds beyond it he misses the green coming back and concedes (2 up)

17th hole par 5. We both get decent tee shots away and second shots I have about 30yds and he has 50 into a very short raised green. He overhits his shot it rolls through the green and down the slope at the back there is no way back from there given the conditions all I need to do is not follow him. I don't, and roll it up the slope to 10ft he has another 3 shots and concedes (3 up)

18th hole we both hit shots down the left of the fairway, but when we get there I am in a bunker and he is just short. L plays a nice looking approach but gets a terrible bounce and finds another greenside bunker. I get an 8 iron on the back of the ball and leave it 20yds from the green, bumping my next shot to 15ft. L has 2 out of the bunker and the 2nd bounces hard and off the back of the green. I bad chip misses the green and he concedes (4up at the turn)

1st hole par 3. I pull mine into a greenside bunker, L is far enough left to miss them. I come out of the bunker and then 3 putt (bottler) he gets onto the green and 2 putts (3 up)

2nd Hole we both pull our tee shots to almost the same spot and eventually we both make 5 and half the hole (3 up)

3rd Hole par 5. We both hit 2 decent shot's to leave ourselves 80yds in. L goes first and slightly overhits it the ball rolls to the back of the green but hangs on. I mishit mine and leave it well shot, and bump it on to 20ft. L massively under hits his putt and is down in 6 I 2 putt for the halve (3 up)

4th Hole. L drags his left into a fairway bunker. I hit a beauty and I'm 20yds short of the green. L hit's a nice shot onto the green but it's only a fleeting visit as the ball ricochets off and through the back. I bump one onto the green to about 15ft and a 2 putt is good enough. (4 up)

5th Hole. Both hit poor tee shots and play recoveries to about 70 yards. L is long and I hit what I perceive to be a good shot to middle of the green, but I'm not there! This green has caught a bit of the week sun and the frost has burnt off and I'm also through the back. I take 3 to get down an L hole as 12ft for the win (3 up)

6th Hole. L finds the fairway and I pull mine left into the trees. L once again finds a fairway bunker but I've caught a bad lie where I can't go for the green or get it onto the fairway. I advance it down the left and then like a coward play a chip away from the hole to leave a long putt. L has a couple of goes to get out of the bunker and ends up a long way past. We both 3 putt but it's my hole and victory (4&3)
 
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