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3 down with 5 to play.....

Tadashi70

Tadashi70

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What will you do?

In match play this is a scenario that one might face. Do you change your strategy and approach? Do you take chances or force the issue?

How would you battle back? Would you give up? What kind of fight do you have? What tricks do you have up your sleeve? Maybe slow play your partner and ruin his rythum. Maybe he has to putt the 3' you have on the 3rd hole. When your back is against the wall, things tend to get right. How would you deal?
 
Just worry about myself, stick to my routine and worry about one shot at a time.
 
No way I'm giving up...gotta keep on grinding.

6 down with 6 to go was intimidating but like I told wake hey let's just win this one.

Stick to your game and see what happens.
 
One shot at a time and play my own game. Try to make a par and put pressure on the opponent to match it or feel his lead dwindle.

Make him putt a 3 footer? Absolutely.

Slow play him? No...not my style.
 
Never give up!

I suppose it depends on the match, have I been attacking the whole time? Why have I lost holes? Sloppy course management or just because the other guy is too good?

I might check my situation and act accordingly.
 
Don't want to press too much as it could take you completely out if the match. But you can't just sit back and wait for something to happen either. Personally, I would take a calculated risk and go for that chance. All it takes is one shot to completely turn a match. I would definitely make him putt out some of the gimme's that maybe were given earlier in the match.


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If it is somebody that I consider a friend I will do a little talking to maybe put some doubt in the old cranium. Either way 3 down with 5 to go I am stepping up the pressure. Whether that means cutting the corner of a dogleg or hitting driver on a risky tight fairway I am an all or nothing kind of guy. I would rather do everything I can to TAKE the match as opposed to just playing steady and conservative and waiting for my partner to make a mistake. In my experience when you take a little risk and it pays off, it tends to put a fair amount of pressure on your opponent.
 
I'm not a fan of playing "dirty pool" like trying to disrupt the other players rhythm but even though I know that's how things are sometimes done in all sports it just doesn't sit well with me and my sportsmanship. However if it meant tons of money etc I may have to change that philosophy because I would have to come to accept that it would probably be the way things are done in that environment.

but I would just I play my game and worry about one thing (shot) in front of me at a time since that the only thing I can really control and if that's good enough or not. So be it.
 
Fairways and greens. I would want to be be hitting first to put pressure on. If I'm longer than him, hit 3 wood off the tee and give myself first crack at the green. Make them putt out everything. 2 footer, putt it. Never know. I'm not changing my pace of play unless its to speed up some. I'm making pars to at least ensure that he has to make a par to not lose the hole...never let them win with par when in that hole.
 
Forget about the score and try to take every shot you have at face value..stay within the moment, shot by shot and keep on grinding.
 
Yep. Fairways and greens. I think slow playing an opponent is cheap and goes against how I believe matches should be played... Not unlike talking in someone's backswing, telling them stupid things like "knock this one in champ" or other weak moves to try and beat someone mentality rather than with skill.

I'm a conservative player by nature but I'd probably green light aiming for flags or going for par 5s in two. With 5 to play and down three, I'm thinking five pars won't be cutting it.
 
You play your game off the tee and attack the pin on your approach.

GregDan and I were 3 down with 5 to play against the zoocrew and we were all square after 17 and won the 18th
 
It's still match play after all and each hole is like a little match in itself. I certainly wouldn't panic and try something extremely risky. One mistake and you're dormie. I would make the best shots I'm capable of, and try to put the pressure on the opponent to match each one. Having been 3 up with 5 to go myself, I know there is a good chance that he'll be pressing to try and close out the match. If he goes for the KO, you could be right back in it. In amateur match play, mistakes lose matches more than heroic shots win them.
 
3 down with 5 to go??? I am not changing my style of play or being more aggressive. Going to grind it out and play each shot like it is the last. Who knows your opponent may just slip up. Win one. Now you have the momentum!
 
Love this thread and all replies! Me, im not sure what I would do as ive never been in that situation. .. I think that I'd be getting more aggressive if I had not been. Like Dan said, I think 5 pars won't cut it

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Been in that spot against War Eagle. Not an envious situation. Part of the reason I found myself in that spot was because of how I was choosing clubs. By nature I usually take my stick and have no problems laying off of it. However clearly this wasn't working that day. So I changed things up a touch. Gave myself a good birdie look on 13 and 14 by hitting the number clubs. Did the same on 15 and after an awful chip, drained a long putt and then found the green on 16. What was funny was when hitting the approach to 17 I went back to one more stick and pulled it badly. It's a shot I've thought about multiple times. I lost the match but I fought back and made it a little more difficult. So I would say I got a little more aggressive and figured if I was going to go down I was going to go down with a hell of an effort.
 
If your 3 down with 5 to play fairway and greens hasn't worked all that well. And I'm gathering there has been no gamesmanship to this point. Interesting takes on this position.
 
Having never played competitive golf, I'm only speculating, but I would think I'd take a few more risks to try and get some points back and put the pressure on my opponent. If I'm down, the gimme range gets a lot smaller
 
Tadashi70 said:
If your 3 down with 5 to play fairway and greens hasn't worked all that well. And I'm gathering there has been no gamesmanship to this point. Interesting takes on this position.
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I think one would also need to take in account how you ended up being down 3. That there would also dictate on whether to force the issue.
 
That is probably one thing I'd change... No one is getting a win off me with a 'gimme' and I believe that's the right way to complete a match (with a real putt).

I just don't see myself altering my attitude towards my opponent simply because I'm losing to him. Not being a terribly aggressive competitor, I'd have a hard time not continuing to compliment as they play better golf than me. If I don't bring my best game, I probably don't deserve to win.
 
Canadan said:
Yep. Fairways and greens. I think slow playing an opponent is cheap and goes against how I believe matches should be played... Not unlike talking in someone's backswing, telling them stupid things like "knock this one in champ" or other weak moves to try and beat someone mentality rather than with skill.

I'm a conservative player by nature but I'd probably green light aiming for flags or going for par 5s in two. With 5 to play and down three, I'm thinking five pars won't be cutting it.
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I personally think that 4 pars will get the match to at least 18. Especially in an amatuer event. The closing skills aren't there and the nerves become much more prevalent. Professional or advanced amatuer event, I agree 5 pars aren't going to cut it and its probably not making it past 16.
 
mmaynard11 said:
I think one would also need to take in account how you ended up being down 3. That there would also dictate on whether to force the issue.
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This is all based on your game and only you know your game. I know if I am three down, I have played horrible golf. I know that I need to change it up to get and win some holes. Your opponent is 3 up, he feels no pressure. He can go FW and greens. More often then not, that match is over on 16.
 
Playdough said:
I personally think that 4 pars will get the match to at least 18. Especially in an amatuer event. The closing skills aren't there and the nerves become much more prevalent. Professional or advanced amatuer event, I agree 5 pars aren't going to cut it and its probably not making it past 16.
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That's a good point. Most of the time if I am competing against friends on my course, they get a lifetime of strokes from me. With each one of their bogeys matching my pars, something would have to change.

When we start to talk about higher handicaps, maybe hitting the short stuff and waiting out the mistake is the play. Sometimes (and I've seen it plenty) the easy bogey = the easy win.
 
Canadan said:
That is probably one thing I'd change... No one is getting a win off me with a 'gimme' and I believe that's the right way to complete a match (with a real putt).

I just don't see myself altering my attitude towards my opponent simply because I'm losing to him. Not being a terribly aggressive competitor, I'd have a hard time not continuing to compliment as they play better golf than me. If I don't bring my best game, I probably don't deserve to win.
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As a captain doesn't your approach change knowing 7 others might be depending on that point. It is a team competition after all.
 
Playdough said:
I personally think that 4 pars will get the match to at least 18. Especially in an amatuer event. The closing skills aren't there and the nerves become much more prevalent. Professional or advanced amatuer event, I agree 5 pars aren't going to cut it and its probably not making it past 16.
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So your counting in your opponent choking down the stretch?
 
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