Match Play & Foursome

Match Play

            As opposed to stroke play, match play is focused on the player or team that wins the hole.  The winner of each individual hole is awarded a point.  Only one point is given out for each hole and if the players tie, no point is given.  The game is played as it is for a normal stroke play tournament, each player tallies up his or her strokes for each hole and then the point is awarded.  For example, if the first player wins the first two holes, he is considered “2-up”.  If the second player wins the third hole, player one is now “1-up”.  When the two players are tied with the same holes won, the match is considered “all square”.  Once a player is leading another by more points than there are holes remaining, the match ends.  In golf terms, a player leading by 5 points with 4 holes to play is said to have won “5 and 4”.  If the two players are tied after the normal 18 holes, they continue to play until one player wins a hole.    

Foursome

            Foursome is a form of match play where, as the name suggests, four players are split into two teams.  Each player on the two person team takes turn hitting the ball, alternating after every shot.  The players continue to switch off hitting the ball until the ball is in the hole.  The team that takes the least amount of strokes to get the ball in the hole is awarded a point.  Beyond just switching off for every shot, the two players switch off teeing off for each hole as well.  This ensures that each player must play well on every aspect of the game in order to win.