Match play gamesmanship

evemccc

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Why give anything in matchplay?

I’ve seen good putters (HCAP 2) miss total sitters, and I’ve been given putts that I was as sure as hell I’d have missed (🤪), much to my pleasure…esp when I won that match 😁
 

Orikoru

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Why give anything in matchplay?

I’ve seen good putters (HCAP 2) miss total sitters, and I’ve been given putts that I was as sure as hell I’d have missed (🤪), much to my pleasure…esp when I won that match 😁
Inclined to agree. At our course the greens are all on slopes and a 2 footer is always missable. I'd be inclined to not give anything over 6 inches really. If that got someone's back up I'd probably just have a chuckle at them - it's golf, you are supposed to get it into the hole. I don't go into a match expecting gimmes, if you get one it's just a bonus.
 

sunshine

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I'd never say to an opponent at the start of a match that they will have to hole out every putt, for me, that makes it easy for them to get used to the idea before we even start, and it takes away the impact when I don't concede, say a 2 footer. But that isn't gamesmanship it's a part of the game
This is so true.

I played a KO match a couple of years ago, and I rolled a putt to 2 feet and strolled over expecting a concession. He made me putt out and I was thinking to myself “I can’t believe you haven’t given me this you bell end”. Of course I missed the putt. Who’s the bell end now?

Lucky for me it was only the 3rd green. I changed my mindset then and expected to hole every putt, was much more positive and won the match. If it had been late on he might have thrown me. Great learning experience.
 

Skytot

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No he didn't find the original...but to be honest by the time the guy had reduced a child to tears the last thing we were interested in was playing golf. Bear in mind this was about 12 years ago and it still grinds my gears.



It was 12 years ago, I dont remember the exact conversation.... all I remember is a child in tears on the course and a miserable git very happy with himself.
I would have walk off the course and hopefully the young lad too. Then the miserable old git wouldn’t have had anyone to mark his card . No time for people like him
 

patricks148

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There used to be a guy who me and my mate played in the foursomes a few times, he would always try all sorts of little ploys to put you off. Jangling his keys or change in the pocket while you are about to put. Walking behind you in your eyeline while playing a shot, coughing. His partner was a lovely guy, who was very very straight and fair, god knows what he though of the "key janglers " antics.
 

Hobbit

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There used to be a guy who me and my mate played in the foursomes a few times, he would always try all sorts of little ploys to put you off. Jangling his keys or change in the pocket while you are about to put. Walking behind you in your eyeline while playing a shot, coughing. His partner was a lovely guy, who was very very straight and fair, god knows what he thought reffedof the "key janglers " antics.

I reffed a match between a couple of professionals donkey’s years ago. One of the caddies was a loose change jangler. Around about the 4th/5th hole the pro on receiving end said, “I’ll give you a £5 for all that loose change you keep jangling.” As there was a decent crowd out there was much laughter, and two red faces. No more jangling…
 

nickjdavis

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Its not just the players that are an issue with gamesmanship...

In an inter club foursomes match I once told a bloke spectating that I'd stick the plastic bottle, that his wife kept squeezing on my or my partners backswing, up his arse if he didnt get her to stop (I'd previously politely asked her to stop on an earlier hole).

Another time the oppositions club captain was driving a buggy around and kept leaving it on paths from greens to the next tee blocking our access after his teams players had passed through. Stupidly he left the keys in it and after a couple of holes of him doing this, I got in it, drove it deep into undergrowth and threw the key into a bush.

Yes its a competitive match, yes we all want to win...but it aint the Ryder Cup for gods sake....some folk take things to an altogether unnecessary level.
 
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