Why I Love Match Play & A Case for Suzann Pettersen

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Match play has this uncanny ability to bring out the competitor in us all.  For the good and the bad.

The Women's NCAA Golf Championship has moved to a match play format, with much controversy. It's better for TV because it's easier to follow for fans and television crews.  It creates drama. Mono e mono, as they say.  But there are flaws; rankings are skewed throughout the season with a combination of stroke and match play tournaments, and a good round of golf can produce a loss of point for your team.  Solid golf doesn't mean a win in this format. And, bad shots and bad holes can be inconsequential. Herein lies the problem....the best team doesn't always win.  But should the best team always win?

Here is why I love match play:

  • BIRDIES. Players truly get into a "one-shot-at-a-time" mentality, without being consciously aware.  If your opponent makes a birdie, you know you have to do the same. What happened on the last hole, and what could happen in the future seems pointless to ponder. The present moment is all that matters, and the mindset competitive golfers thrive to achieve each time they tee it up.
  • TEAM. In collegiate golf, the first team to three points wins.  It doesn't matter who gets the point, it just matters that you earn three of them. In stroke play, the focus can easily become about each player and their performance, which undermines the team aspect of college golf. In match play, the team is inevitably playing for something bigger than themselves because there is no individual competition embedded within the tournament.  The team gets the credit, not the players.  Furthermore, the match could come down to any one a team, whether it's the number one or number five player.
  • STRATEGY. Coaches set the pairings based on a teams' seeding. The higher seeded team can either throw out a player first, or control three matches by waiting on the lower seeded coach to unveil their lineup.  This requires a coach to know the opponents lineup.  Do you want your best player against theirs, or mix up your lineup to keep the opposing coach guessing? The strategies vary, and so many scenarios can be played out.

THE PERFECT STORM........

What happened to Suzann Pettersen and Alison Lee at the 2015 Solheim Cup is such a shame. It's an example of the competitive nature of match play, in conjunction with representing your country/continent at the highest level, on the biggest stage in women's golf. It was the perfect storm.  Pettersen is a fiery competitor, with or without match play. And, emotions were running high with a close match all week between team USA and team Europe. 

Here is the story on Golfweek:

http://golfweek.com/news/2015/sep/30/lpga-solheim-cup-suzann-pettersen-controversy-apol/

And Suzann's apology later (click on the photo to see the exclusive interview with Tim Rosaforte & Suzann Pettersen on the Golf Channel):

My question for the many competitors out there; what would you have done in Suzann's shoes?!? Really, what would you have done? Many say they would have given the putt. Many also say they would have conceded the 18th hole, to halve the match. Knowing you didn't give the putt, AND you really wanted your competitor to earn the halve on the hole for your continent; what would you have done?!

From the literature I've read post-controversy, nobody seems to be talking about the rules official involved. Perhaps he could have slowed down the train by asking a few more questions? Perhaps he didn't need to start announcing the score before the putt was verbally given to Alison? Perhaps he jumped the gun and declared a loss of hole once it was determined the Europeans hadn't conceded the putt?

Would you really have been able to see the "big picture" in the heat of the battle? I'd like to think we all would, but Suzann is like so many of us. She wanted to win, and winning for Team Europe meant the world to her, in that moment.  I'm guessing it's what was preached in the locker room before heading out to battle (like all sports, at most levels). Win, win, win!  Rip their heads off! Fight with heart! Never give up!  

When the dust settled, Suzann and Alison were put in an extremely unfortunate situation. The golf world sincerely hurts for them both; me included. From one competitor to another, I solute you Suzann. Of course, the right thing didn't happen in that particular moment. And, I believe your apology is sincere. You do see the big picture and what is best for the game of golf as a whole. And, I also question if any other competitor would have done the same thing, in the same ugly situation. Match play is a beautiful thing, and for that we love it, and the game of golf.