Finals tactics help

[turkish]

Long post alert: Looking for some advice on a finals I'm involved in- my heads getting a bit scrambled trying to work out numbers or tactics.

Our club has a tournament similar to fedex cup where it's points not $ (I wish lol) and the top 30 players from our order of merit have qualified. Really after the top 8 it would be hard for anybody else to win outright without all the top people having stinkers.

There are 2 prizes- the 1st is good- a new set of fitted AP1's the 2nd prize is unspecified so probably a much lesser prize so really 1st is what we want to play for.

I am sitting top at the moment:
Player 1 (me). 2000 points (off 20 HC)
Player 2. 1800 points (off 8 and steady)
Player 3. 1600 points (off 7 and steady)
Player 4. 1440 points (off 2 can be very low or reasonably high)
Player 5. 1280 points (off 16 can vary)
Player 6. 1120 Points
Player 7. 960 points
Player 8. 800 points

Points for placings in final are:

1st: 2000 (if any of the top 5 win outright they can't be caught)
2nd: 1200
3rd: 760
4th: 560 (anything outside top 4 you're unlikely to win points start going down considerably)

I am thinking the winning score could be anything from 65-69 for the top 5- people much lower down could win on the day but not outright which only help stop the other taking the points needed if that makes sense.

so tactics wise:

I am grouped with the 2 other top 3 out last. I won't know how others in the field are getting on but I can keep track of what they are doing. So it's kind of a 3 way matchplay situation but having to calculate handicaps into their strokeplay round?

I know some might just say don't get bogged down by what others doing but surely having the information with 5 holes down could be key to knowing what I need to do? Whether I need to take shots on or not. Or even on the 18th hole if I know a 4 or 5 would be good to beat them both?

The cons of that are that it could be a distraction concentrating on what others are doing?

Both nervous and excited though the past few weeks I have been playing poorly- have a playing lesson 4 days before it so hopefully have enough time to practice. My problem right now is usually at the turn I am over handicap(sometimes by 4 strokes :-( so playing catchup

Can anybody provide advice on what I should be doing in this situation?

 

[virtuocity]

Can anybody provide advice on what I should be doing in this situation?

Hit the ball and enjoy it mate.

 

[turkish]

Haha I will no matter what mate- win or lose it will be experience in the bank but I think I need to know an element of tactics and/or where I am in the group I'm out with

 

[fundy]

ignore what anyone else is doing, play it shot by shot and add them up at the end, hopefully yours will add up to less than the other guys. virtuocity got it spot on

 

[IanM]

Hit the ball and enjoy it mate.

........exactly.... far too much thinking going on!

The only thing you can do is play your best. Off your handicap, don't make a 7 trying to make a 4! If someone shoots the lights out, that's out of your control.

 

[Smiffy]

Play within yourself and don't go for "glory" shots.
Played a couple of weeks ago with a very good mate who plays off 16. He was playing "conservatively", not going for any stupid shots, and was racking up a very decent score.
Got to the 9th hole, he was going to hit a medium iron to play safe, his ball was sitting nicely and I stupidly commented that I would personally have gone for it, and hit a nice 5 or 3 wood at the flag. He let what I said change his mind and he tried to do what I suggested. It was his only blob of the round.....
I shut my trap after that,

 

[Foxholer]

...
Can anybody provide advice on what I should be doing in this situation?

Your 'current' approach has got you to this position! So don't try and do anything special!

It's just another round of golf! So no different thoughts!

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Don't worry about your game, just concentrate on what everyone else is doing

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Excellent advice in this thread. Winners play their own game within their abilities and don't think about others. Whether you like to know how others are standing or not (that's up to you - I ignore it), chose the appropriate shot for you each time and hit the club you're confident of pulling off. Repeat until done. Enjoy celebratory beverage.

 

[Imurg]

Definitely over thinking...
With the greatest of respect to almost all members of the forum, we are simply not good enough to be able to play our game and worry about what others are doing.
If one of the others gets a birdie what are you going to do..?
Say to yourself " Damn, that means I need a birdie on this next hole to keep up"
Are we capable of pulling a birdie out of the hat to order..?
Don't think so...
Play the game, hit the ball.
Count at the end....


Good luck!

 

[3offTheTee]

The others have it all to do and are probably more worried than you although possibly have more experience.

Taking a simple philosophy ensure you 'beat' the other 2 in your group, enjoy the day, good luck and let us know the outcome.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Do whatever you normally do, whether thats arrive ten minutes before your time and straight out, or get there early and hit balls. It's only another round and you can only affect the outcome of your own ball. Just keep it in play and minimise the risks

 

[Norrin Radd]

hit it
find it
hit it again
that's all.

 

[williamalex1]

If you want a caddy give me a call, relax play your normal game you'll be fine :thup:

 

[Robster59]

Get worked up, biff it all up and I'll come through from the back and grab the irons

But seriously, I'm way too far back to worry about it. Just play your game, don't get bogged down on the details and enjoy it. You've had a good season to top the Order of Merit, just relax and enjoy.

 

[virtuocity]

Absolutely bucketing down.

Serves you right for having a good season.

 

[williamalex1]

Absolutely bucketing down.

Serves you right for having a good season.

It must be karma, it's nice and dry here :smirk:

 

[turkish]

It's next week Dave 😜👍

 

[louise_a]

Play your own game and enjoy it, don't worry what the other two are doing.
In the first GMNWOOM I was in the last group out in the final, I had a poor start and the two I was playing with both started well, it got to my head and I played rubbish all round.

 

[turkish]

So played utter tripe but still managed to shoot a nett 67 which tied me 1st with the player in 3rd. The organisers of the tourney thought the only fair way to finalise an outcome was a playoff instead of adding points then splitting as they said this would be the way done in the original fedex tourney.... tied the 19th got beat on the 20th hole so pretty gutted.

I didn't really follow how the opponents were doing but at halfway stage the person in 2nd was pretty much out of it, the person in 3rd was 1.5 stroke under HC, I was level handicap so was fairly happy how things were going(if not with how I was playing). Near the end though I really did end up following how my opposition was doing as was so close. If anything I thought it helped me focus and although I didn't win played fairly solid. So in summary being a scoreboard watcher when it's tight probably suits me although can understand why people wouldn't.

Still really gutted as my front 9 really let me down- left a lot of shots out there but wasn't to be and can't grudge who won as opponent played solid par golf parring 17/20 holes.

on the plus side I'll get a prize for 2nd place, got cut to 18.4 so smashed my season target with 3 medals to play and still top of our order of merit so need to shake it off and also have semi final of titleist matchplay to come.

Bit of a Liverpool FC type of season- so much potential but falling at the final hurdle.... winning titleist matchplay would be the Liverpool in 2005's season though ;-)