Was I guilty of Gamesmanship

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Playing interclub match on Saturday away. Was dormie 3 but oppo shot cracking birdies on 16 and 17. So to 18th green yards from front of clubhouse and assembled players who'd finished their rounds. I was on in three, 15ft from hole. Oppo was 3ft from hole also in three. Before I attempted my putt I wandered to assembled players and said to them out loud 'I've got that for a four - if I miss he's got his for a four to win the hole and half the match'. I lipped out to oohs and ahs from my buddies - oppo pushed his putt and missed. Hole halved. Match won.

Was that gamesmanship on my part? I mentioned to my mates about the situation to make me focus on my putt. I only thought about gamesmanship afterwards.

 

[Oddsocks]

guilty as charged.... or you wouldnt have said it as loud as you did.

 

[Alex1975]

Was that gamesmanship on my part? I mentioned to my mates about the situation to make me focus on my putt. I only thought about gamesmanship afterwards.

Then no... and good job!

 

[ScienceBoy]

Remind me never to play you, good thing you are not local ;-)

 

[arnieboy]

You wouldn't have asked if you thought it was not!

 

[Robobum]

Gamesmanship or not, it's poor etiquette in my opinion and doesn't show much respect to your opponent.

 

[dufferman]

Gamesmanship or not, it's poor etiquette in my opinion and doesn't show much respect to your opponent.

I hate to agree, but I do. Not very sporting.

 

[bladeplayer]

Playing interclub match on Saturday away. Was dormie 3 but oppo shot cracking birdies on 16 and 17. So to 18th green yards from front of clubhouse and assembled players who'd finished their rounds. I was on in three, 15ft from hole. Oppo was 3ft from hole also in three. Before I attempted my putt I wandered to assembled players and said to them out loud 'I've got that for a four - if I miss he's got his for a four to win the hole and half the match'. I lipped out to oohs and ahs from my buddies - oppo pushed his putt and missed. Hole halved. Match won.

Was that gamesmanship on my part? I mentioned to my mates about the situation to make me focus on my putt. I only thought about gamesmanship afterwards.

What a strange thing to do .. id be concentrating on my putt never minding wandering over to the people watching .. Gamesmanship ? definatly along with rude & bad form ..

on a side note if i was your opponent id be focused on what i was doing & id be convincing myself my putt was a must make anyhow .. so if i did miss it, it was down to me anyhow , not what you did ..

Id say the other people watching that werent your mates thought it was out of line aswell .. sounded like it was a close match , the best kind , but you didnt think you could win it with you quality of golf , so got involved in the silly stuff .. you were playing well enough to get 3 ahead , you should have let your golf win out for you ..

Id would be disapointed you thought you had to do this , of course you knew what you were doing , otherwise why say it out loud , ive played alot of inter club matches & if i was asked the score id whisper it .. id be disaopinted , very disapointed in myself if i did that .. how you feel about it only you honestly know .. but the fact you asked ... well that tells its own story .. 0/10

 

[MadAdey]

I do think it is poor form to do that. I have been at the last before with fellow team members wondering what the state of play was but never say outloud. I may just show them fingers and point them up or down to let them know, but would never blurt it out loud.

 

[Bratty]

I do think it is poor form to do that. I have been at the last before with fellow team members wondering what the state of play was but never say outloud. I may just show them fingers and point them up or down to let them know, but would never blurt it out loud.

Exactly what I demand the Men's Team do during our matches. Thumbs up/down or fingers as above, but never do I allow them yell the state of the game out to each other. Poor form, I'm afraid.

If I wanted to focus myself on a putt, I certainly wouldn't say what you said out loud to other people. I may mutter something like, "just put this in the hole" or some such. Even if you didn't mean to put the oppo off, verbalising the score and the state of the match is "unsporting".

 

[virtuocity]

Brilliant stuff.

Pitchforks at the ready.

 

[virtuocity]

Would also add that it's clear that you didn't have bad intentions but I reckon you'll not do that again.

Personally, I would send a tenner in the post to stick behind the bar for the guy as a way of an apology with a short note stating that you didn't mean to be unsporting and to have a pint on your dollar.

 

[Kellfire]

Poor etiquette as the opponent was probably wondering what you were up to but I'm not sure I'd have any issue if you did it against me; I have no issue with gamesmanship and anyone who does is being uppity in my opinion. As long as it's within the rules, go for it. Golf is a mental sport as well as a physical one.

 

[chrisd]

Yep, agree with most that it's pretty poor form and you should be ashamed.

 

[richart]

Gamesmanship or not, it's poor etiquette in my opinion and doesn't show much respect to your opponent.

I must agree. So glad I left Farnham if that is what the members get up to.









Smiley, smiley !!!!

 

[garyinderry]

i going to go against the grain here. if it happened to me i wouldnt care in the slightest. if you miss a three foot putt its not because a larger number of people knew what was at stake. if he had of holed it he might of got a cheer or an applause. this is sport. deal with it!

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

OK - so I have to say when I reflected upon it I realised what I had done and yes - I feel a bit ashamed. I was carrying so would have walked over to that side of the green anyway - it wasn't as if I deliberately went over to say what I did. I have no idea why I did - and in truth didn't 'shout' it out. My mates knew I'd had a s**t round last time I played the course - I guess that was something to do with.

My oppo actually mentioned 'gamesmanship' when we were chatting afterwards so obviously he thought that that was what I was up to. The again another of their players asked me who I was playing and how I did. When I told him I could alsmost sense a little twinkle in his eye when he said 'oh 'he' doesn't like losing'. I took from that that my oppo is known in their club as a fierce competitor who other members may ... hmmm. You get my drift.

But you are right - I felt a guilty. I was very pleased to have won - but more relieved to have played well. Lesson. Be very careful about what you say in a match.

 

[Ethan]

I would say 'Yes'

But nice post-gamesmanship comment rationalisation.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Definitely gamesmanship and rather poor etiquette to wander off at a crucial time

 

[Mattyboy]

Deffo gamesmanship but nothing else.

Once you had said that I would have said to myself - yep - once you miss that I have a 3 footer to get a moral victory - and knocked it in and shake your hand, looking you in eye with a smug grin on my boat!

Edit: Bet it was more nerves than deliberate gamesmanship anyhow.