First matchplay comp this weekend

[woody69]

In our clubs summer singles knock-out. Looking forward to it quite a lot as I have never played in a *competitive* matchplay before. Guy I have been drawn against seems to be nice enough, at least over the email conversations we've had to arrange things, so hopefully I'll get on with him and it'll be a pleasant experience!

I'm getting 6 shots on him, so already worrying he thinks I'm some kind of bandit, ha! I have my plan for each hole to play my own game, but react and adapt based on his game/approaches. i.e don't go for the green 220 yards away with my 3 wood when he's sliced his into the rough, put likewise take a risk if he's up there and on the green!

Pressure even more on me now as my two good friends have already played and won their respective matches 1up and 3&2 and are through to the next round! They're already threatening to come down to "cheer me on"...

 

[patricks148]

I had mine on Friday night.

Played against a Rev who was off 9 so giving 3 shots.

Get on the first tee hit it down the middle 230 ish, he bombs it over the new bunkerwhich is about 250 off the tee, a flick with a wedge to about 5 feet after i had put my rather poor effort in the middle of the green

3 down after 3....

played ok after that and won 5&4

 

[pbrown7582]

enjoy, competitive matchplay is good fun.

sounds like you have a solid gameplan already :thup:

 

[Break90]

Playing tomorrow evening in the second round of ours, against an 8hcp so will be receiving 6 shots.

Good luck in your match, enjoy it!!

 

[woody69]

Played at the weekend and it turned out my opponent was President of the Golf committee and I hadn't clocked that! I obviously addressed him as "Mr President" throughout. Turned out I got 7 shots off him, not the 6 I thought, so suddenly the 1st became a hole with a shot for me.

Nice steady tee shot just off into the rough at the 1st, dug it out and ended up just off the green and he was in the same position. He missed his putt and we both ended up with a bogey, but with my shot I was 1up

Great tee shot off the 2nd leaving me with 120 in and 135 to the back. Thought I would play safe as there is a big bunker protecting the front of the green. I normally hit my 9I about 130 (total) so decided on a nice easy swing in.... I managed to catch it as sweetly as I ever have and it bounces off the back of the green and down the slope and he ends up on the green for his 2nd 10 feet from the pin. Ball is pretty much unplayable for me with no where to drop so decide to concede the hole after failing to hack it out of the nettles - a/s

3rd is par 3 and he ends up on the green and I'm just off the the right in the light rough. I chip on, but it roles 10 feet past. He knocks his putt just short for a gimme and a par. I miss the putt back so he's now 1up

4th is a long par 5 SI 5 and my 2nd hole with a shot. He hits a solid drive down the middle (which he does all day) and mine "power fades" (read slices) off into the long rough on the right. Hit a provisional, but manage to find my original in a terrible lie. Hack it out sideways and then hit a decent 6 iron down. His 2nd is now level with me. Play it safe with a 6 iron to leave me 100 yards in and again he's pretty much level with me. Nice PW on, which he matches and we both 2 putt to halve. My 7 to his 6 and I'm ruing the poor tee shot... Still 1 down

Great 5W off the short 5th leaving me only 105 yards to the front of the green. 52 wedge and I'm on the green just above the flag. His 2nd goes a little low and he ends up right at the back of the green with a difficult downhill putt, which he misses and races past. Misses the tricky uphill putt back leaving me 2 to win the hole. Terrible tentaitve 1st putt still leaving me 3 foot downhill, but manage to sink it for a par and we're back to all square.

6th is SI1 and another par 5. My drive is straight but in the bunker on the left (think I was over compensating following my earlier drive on the 4th). Excellent contact out of the sand leaving me 150 to the pin. End up pulling it into the large left hand green side bunker, but he obviously sympathises as he hit's his into the right-hand side green side bunker. Disaster for me as I fluff my shot and end up hitting it only a few yards forward and I'm still in the bunker. He's nicely out and on the green. Again a poor shot from me out the bunker and I'm across the green and into the light rough on the other side. Chip back on, but leave myself too much to do with a long putt. He's down for 6 and I miss my putt so now 2 down

Another disaster for me on the 7th tee as I top my hybrid into longish rough infront of the tee box. Can only hack it out and end up in the rough on the right hand side. Eventually get it out and I'm level with his ball on the fairway. Pull my 9 iron approach into more rough and he's just off the green. Fluff my chip and decide to concede - 2 down

Again another awful tee shot on our par 3 8th, topping it 30 yards, but it's at least straight and only in light rough. He ends up in the bunker in front of the green. Finally a decent connection and my 9 iron flys up onto the green leaving me a long 18 yard putt. Turns our bunker is marked GUR, so he drops at NPR and chips on, but it rolls to almost level with my ball. I putt up and go long by 5ft. He ends up short by 6ft. Misses his next, so I have mine back for the hole... and it lips out to halve the hole and remain 2 down.

9th is a 90 degree r/hand dog leg and SI 3 with a big carry over water. Far too far for me to carry so play safe down the left. Turns out I hit the drive of my life and it ends up way long and in the rough. Ironic that the same drive would have cleared the water easily leaving me with a nice approach. Still we all know that wouldn't have happened! Have to hack out the rough and then hit a decent 8 iron up to just short of the green. Chip on and 2 putt for 6 nett 5, but he's on for 3 and a 2 putt meaning it's halved and I'm 2 down at the turn.

On the 10th his 2nd ends up in a green side bunker, but he plays an excellent shot out and just misses his par putt for the up and down for a bogey. I end up not being able to take advantage as my 2nd is short and I don't get close enough with my chip on to 1 putt so it's halved

11th is a long straight par 4 and SI 4 so another shot for me. He manages to hit his 2nd into the water on the left and I'm on the green for 3. He drops and chips on, but misses the putt giving him 6. My long putt goes past and my putt back misses and I end up with a gimme also for 6, but with the shot I'm now 1 down

12th is a really tricky 190 yard par 3 with carry across water for about 150 yards. I do the unforgiveable after winning the last hole and sky my 5W tee shot that ends up in the water. He's up level with the pin just off the green. My 3rd from the tee ends up through the back of the green, I chip up close and manage to sink the putt for a 5, but he's down for par and I'm back to 2 down.

More problems of my own doing on the 13th when I thin my 2nd into the rough forcing me to hack out again. Push my 4th to the left of the green. He's in the bunker after his 2nd, but again manages to get out and on the green with a great shot and 2 putts for a bogey 5. I don't sink my chip onto the green to halve so I'm now 3 down with 5 to play

14th is another par 5 and SI2. My tee shot is straight and true and unbelievably longer than I usually hit, causing it to hit the bank near the water on the left and literally bounces left 90 degrees and into the water. From the back tees I didn't even think it was within my range so I'm quite gutted! Walk up and take a drop and more disaster as my 3rd ends up in the same lake thanks to a poor swing. Another drop in the same place and I'm now level with him playing my 6th, whilst he's had 2. 6 iron down leaving me 100 yards on and he matches me. I then end up about 20 feet away from the pin at the top of the slope of the green and he manages to thin his into the ditch at the front of the green forcing him to drop. Playing his 6th he sends a lovely chip over the ditch and bunker at the front and rolls it to 3 feet from the pin. I miss my long down hill putt and concede the hole - dormie 4

15th produces another good drive from him leaving him on the fairway just in front of a bunker. I match him, but go a little longer and end up in the 2nd cut close to the bunker. He makes a mistake and thins his iron shot against the wall of the bunker, but he catches a break as it flips up and rolls out onto the fairway the other side. I have a terrible lie and do pretty much the same, but I don't catch the break and just hit it further into the 2nd cut. Manage a sweet contact with my 3rd though and stick it onto the green and 10 feet away. He hits his 3rd to about 12 foot. He misses his putt by less than a foot and knocks it in for bogey. I miss my putt as it lips around the hole to halve the hole and lose the match 4&3.

Pretty gutted as I felt it was me that lost today, rather than getting beaten. He made very few mistakes and was solid off the tee. He missed a few putts, but I just wasn't in a position to take advantage and when he did make a mistake it was irrelevant as I made an even worse one. Looking back the drive on the 4th and the missed putt on the 8th were key. Combined with the lack of luck in terms of producing two massive drives I never usually do ending up penalising me on the 9th and 14th and my usual terrible putting it just wasn't meant to be.

Absolutely lovely guy though and a real pleasure to play with even if I was soundly beaten. Always interesting to hear about someone's life and what goes at the golf club that he is involved in etc. All a learning experience I guess and I look forward to having another crack in the future.

 

[Curls]

All a learning experience I guess and I look forward to having another crack in the future.

Nice write up shame about the result, but as you say a learning experience and next time you'll be determined to not give anything away and realise how important it is to keep it in play off the tee. It's the killer about matchplay that once you're out that's it, no coming back for a year, but remember that everyone bar two people in the cup this year will feel like that.

Now that you've bitten the matchplay bullet you should defo enter a pairs comp with your buddies, unreal fun particularly alternating shots. Happy golfing