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Singles is a golf format where two individual players compete against each other on a hole-by-hole basis. Each player plays their own ball, aiming to win as many holes as possible. The player who wins the most holes is the winner of the match. This format is also known as match play and is a scoring system where a player or team earns a point for each hole in which they outperform their opponents. In match play, the winner is the player or team with the most points at the end of the play.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Format | 1 vs. 1 |
| Scoring System | Match play |
| Objective | Win as many holes as possible |
| Winner | Player with the most points at the end of play |
| Scoring | One point per hole |
| Tie | No winner for that hole |
| Variations | Medal match play, stroke play |
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What You'll Learn
Singles is a 1v1 matchplay format
Match play, in general, is a scoring system in golf where players or teams earn a point for each hole in which they outperform their opponents. This is in contrast to stroke play, where the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds, typically of 18 holes. Match play encourages more aggressive play, especially at the professional level, as a par is often not sufficient to win a hole. This can lead to the adoption of higher-risk strategies, as a very poor result on a hole is no worse than a slightly below-average outcome when competing against an opponent with an average score.
The Ryder Cup, for example, is a team event that typically consists of eight Alternate Shot matches, eight Four Ball matches, and 12 singles matches. Another example of a match play tournament is the WGC Match Play Championship. There is also a variation called "medal match play," which combines the head-to-head match play style with medal or stroke play scores. In this format, each match is determined by the 18-hole medal score instead of on a hole-by-hole basis, allowing ties to be broken by overall medal scores.
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Each player plays their own ball
In golf, singles format refers to a match play game where two individual players compete against each other on a hole-by-hole basis. When it comes to the aspect of "each player plays their own ball", it means that in a singles format, each golfer plays with their own ball throughout the round, aiming to win as many holes as possible. The objective is to win the most holes during the round, and the player who achieves this is declared the winner of the match. This format encourages aggressive play, as a very poor result on a hole is no worse than a slightly-below-average outcome when competing against an opponent with an average score. Therefore, it often makes strategic sense for golfers to embrace the higher risk associated with aggressive tactics.
In a singles format, each player counts the strokes used to complete each hole, and at the end of the round, they tally up their total strokes. The player with the lowest score on a hole wins that particular hole. If the golfers tie, the hole is considered halved, and they move on to the next hole. The match continues until one player is "up" by more holes than there are holes left to play. For instance, if Player A is 7-up with six holes remaining, they are deemed to have won the match "7 and 6".
The singles format is often used in team events, such as the Ryder Cup, which consists of eight Alternate Shot matches, eight Four Ball matches, and 12 singles matches. In a Four Ball match, each player on a team of two plays their own ball, and the team's score on each hole is determined by the best score among the two players. This format can also be adapted for teams of four, with the lowest two or three scores on each hole contributing to the team's total.
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The player with the lowest score on a hole wins it
Singles is a golf format where two individual players compete against each other on a hole-by-hole basis. Each player plays their own ball, aiming to win as many holes as possible. The player with the lowest score on a hole wins it.
In this format, the golfer counts the strokes used to complete each hole, then adds up the total number of those strokes at the end of the round for their score. The player with the lowest score wins the hole. If the golfers tie, then the hole is tied or halved. For example, in an 18-hole match, if both players score the same on a hole, that hole is halved. If one player is up by one hole with a few holes left to play, they are said to be "dormie". If a player is up by more holes than there are holes remaining, they automatically win the match.
In singles, the player with the most holes won at the end of the match is the winner. This format encourages aggressive play, especially at the professional level, where a par is not usually good enough to win a hole. Since a very poor result for a hole is no worse than a slightly-below-average result when playing against an opponent with an average score, it often makes sense to accept the higher risk connected with aggressive tactics.
Additionally, there are variations to the singles format, such as "medal match play", which combines the head-to-head match play style with medal or stroke play scores. Each match between two players or teams of players is determined by the 18-hole medal score instead of on a hole-by-hole basis.
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The player who wins the most holes wins the match
In golf, singles format is a type of match play, where two individual players compete against each other on a hole-by-hole basis. In match play, the golfers play as they normally would, counting the strokes taken on a given hole. The player with the lowest score on a given hole wins that hole. The goal is to win individual holes by completing them in fewer strokes than your opponent, and the player who wins the most holes wins the match.
In match play, a player earns a point for each hole they win, as opposed to stroke play, where the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes. The winner of a stroke play competition is the player with the best overall score at the end of the round(s).
Another form of match play is "medal match play", which combines the head-to-head match play style with medal or stroke play scores. Each match between two players or teams of players is determined by the 18-hole medal score instead of on a hole-by-hole basis. This format helps break ties in group or pool play.
Match play encourages more aggressive play, especially at the professional level, where a par is not usually good enough to win a hole. Since a very poor result for a hole is no worse than a slightly-below-average result when playing against an opponent with an average score, it often makes sense to accept the higher risk connected with aggressive tactics.
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Variations include skins, medal match play, and stroke play
Golf singles is a format where golfers play either as individuals or as part of a team. Variations of the singles format include skins, medal match play, and stroke play.
Skins
Skins is a golf format played by three or four golfers, where the winner of each hole wins a 'skin', usually a sum of money. The name comes from the leather pouches that money was kept in, and each hole is played for a 'bag of money' or a 'skin'. The value of each skin is declared in advance, and sometimes the value of skins increases for later holes. If a hole is not won outright, the skin is carried over to the next hole, and all players can compete for that skin. Skins tend to favour bold, attacking play as players are rarely punished for performing poorly on a hole.
Medal Match Play
Medal match play combines the head-to-head match play style with medal or stroke play scores. Each match between two players or teams of players is determined by the 18-hole medal score instead of on a hole-by-hole basis. This means that ties in group or pool play can be broken by overall medal scores.
Stroke Play
Stroke play is a scoring system in golf where the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes. The winner is the player who has taken the fewest strokes over the course of the round(s). In handicap competitions, players subtract their handicaps from the total score to generate their net scores, and the player with the lowest net score wins. Other forms of stroke play include Stableford, where points are gained based on hole scores, maximum score, where there is a limit to the number of strokes that may be taken on each hole, and par (or bogey), where holes are won or lost against a target score on each hole.
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Frequently asked questions
Singles is a golf format where two players compete against each other on a hole-by-hole basis. Each player uses their own ball and the objective is to win as many holes as possible. The player who wins the most holes wins the match.
The golfer with the lowest score on a given hole receives one point. If the golfers tie, then the hole is tied or halved. Once a player is "up" more holes than there are holes remaining to play, the match is over.
Match play is a scoring system for golf in which a player or team earns a point for each hole in which they outperform their opponents. On the other hand, stroke play is a scoring system where the total number of strokes is counted over one or more rounds of 18 holes.
Examples of golf tournaments that use the match play format include the WGC Match Play, Volvo World Match Play Championship, and team events such as the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup.
