Match play final.. Was I hustled?

I played our club match play final today and got beaten 6&5, a shock to the system to say the least. The guy is off 12 so I had to give him 7 shots, he was 9 just last year. Anyway he was +1 gross for 13 holes and beat me out the gate!! 2 bogeys, 1 birdie and 10 pars. I'd have to be -4 to just keep up with that. Should I be annoyed because I feel like I did well to get to the final competing against higher handicap golfers in my previous matches and to only be trounced today by a guy who's clearly better than 12 and said he played the golf of his life. Should I hold my hands up and accept the better player won or be aggrieved with a clearly false handicap player beating me?

If you can back up the claim of a "false" handicap then you can grumble...to whom I don't know. Its over. But a 12 who was once a 9 has a chance to shoot a very good round. Now, an 18 might be another story.

I'll bet you have had "rounds of your life" on occasion and maybe if today was your top days the results would have been different regardless of how your opponent played. You can likely think of several shots you left out on the course that could have turned the tide. For your opponent, confidence breeds more confidence and if pressure is not applied then a roll can begin.

Look at the names on the Web.com tour that have had a day (or four) of their lives and won on the big tour. Immelman winning the Masters is a good example. Johnny Vegas is another. It happens.

Play gross instead of net. Handicap tournaments are rife with these issues.

Ya got beat. Whether legit or not, doesnt matter. Stage is right- play in net events, you gotta expect this.

Once lost some dough to a 10 that shot 2 under. Turns out he beate on the first tee. Last time I played for anything significant with anything net.

I think there are a lot of golfers out there who are athletic enough to have a good day and look like a solid single cap one day, and play like crap the next. I can go from hitting a lot of solid shots and putting well one day, to full on hitting chunks, thins, bad putts etc...and play 15 shots worse the next day.

Bad luck for you, but I don't think it is guaranteed the guy is hustling or sandbagging.

I would guess its more likely with young guys...one day piping 260 yd drives in the middle, next day hitting four drivers ob.

Net is just flat out dumb.

I wouldn't have shook his hand.

I'm not a gracious loser when I feel like someone is hustling. I make it known... Once. And then I walk away.

What score did he post for the round?

per the OP 1 over through 13... awfully strong for 12.

[quote name='againstthegrain' timestamp='1381101273' post='7962129']
What score did he post for the round?
[/quote]

he was 1 over gross for 13 holes along with 7 shots I gave him..

What did he shoot to beat the others to get to the final with you? If he was putting up 1 overs every match, then yes you were hustled. If he squeaked by the other matches and then had a career round, congratulate him and tell him you will see him next year.

[quote name='Yepyukon' timestamp='1381103808' post='7962309']
What did he shoot to beat the others to get to the final with you? If he was putting up 1 overs every match, then yes you were hustled. If he squeaked by the other matches and then had a career round, congratulate him and tell him you will see him next year.
[/quote]

I agree with this^^^^^^....I play off a 15. I had 7pars,1birdie, and a triple bogey on the back nine yesterday. It was just a casual round but I can get hot that way. I can get even hotter when I am playing for something. For me I think it is a focus thing. I can shoot an 80 or 105 on any given day.

I dropped my last club because all of our events were Net, even the club championship. If someone wants me to play them for something, even bragging rights, we play straight up. Shake his hand and move on. Today was a lesson. Tomorrow, you get to see if you learned.

[quote name='Barry88' timestamp='1381102408' post='7962207']
[quote name='againstthegrain' timestamp='1381101273' post='7962129']
What score did he post for the round?
[/quote]

he was 1 over gross for 13 holes along with 7 shots I gave him..
[/quote]

Yes I understand that, but did he post an 18 hole score for handicap purposes?

The guy had the potential to post a good score. I would make sure though that his round was posted as Tournament score.

[quote name='againstthegrain' timestamp='1381105897' post='7962509']
[quote name='Barry88' timestamp='1381102408' post='7962207']
[quote name='againstthegrain' timestamp='1381101273' post='7962129']
What score did he post for the round?
[/quote]

he was 1 over gross for 13 holes along with 7 shots I gave him..
[/quote]

Yes I understand that, but did he post an 18 hole score for handicap purposes?
[/quote]

no he didn't post a score today, we finished on the 13th and that was that

If I was a 12 or a 9, I would have finished that round if I was +1 after 13.

Maybe I'm just cynical, but I am positive you got hustled. Match play finals, a high pressure event and a guy is on pace to shoot 10 shots below his handicap? That's not a guy just being 'on' for a day. I don't buy it for a minute.

The icing on the cake is that a match play event can end on the last hole and the guy doesn't have to post the score. And the fact he didn't want to speaks volumes about the situation.

[quote name='mantan' timestamp='1381107493' post='7962667']
Maybe I'm just cynical, but I am positive you got hustled. Match play finals, a high pressure event and a guy is on pace to shoot 10 shots below his handicap? That's not a guy just being 'on' for a day. I don't buy it for a minute.

The icing on the cake is that a match play event can end on the last hole and the guy doesn't have to post the score. And the fact he didn't want to speaks volumes about the situation.
[/quote]

Actually, under the USGA handicap rules 13 holes is enough to post an 18 hole score. He absolutely is required to post a score. For the holes not played he should record par plus any handicap strokes he would be entitled to based on his course handicap and the handicap allocation on the scorecard.

[quote name='mantan' timestamp='1381107493' post='7962667']
Maybe I'm just cynical, but I am positive you got hustled. Match play finals, a high pressure event and a guy is on pace to shoot 10 shots below his handicap? That's not a guy just being 'on' for a day. I don't buy it for a minute.

The icing on the cake is that a match play event can end on the last hole and the guy doesn't have to post the score. And the fact he didn't want to speaks volumes about the situation.
[/quote]

I agree. And, if I were playing so well, I know I'd want to finish the round, even if the match was over.

This is why you flight a tournament.

[quote name='mantan' timestamp='1381107493' post='7962667']
Maybe I'm just cynical, but I am positive you got hustled. Match play finals, a high pressure event and a guy is on pace to shoot 10 shots below his handicap? That's not a guy just being 'on' for a day. I don't buy it for a minute.

The icing on the cake is that a match play event can end on the last hole and the guy doesn't have to post the score. And the fact he didn't want to speaks volumes about the situation.
[/quote]

Agreed. No doubt about it.

I know anything is possible....but the 4some I'm in for my casual rounds has a 7, 9 and a 12 hcp...the 7 on a couple of occasions has come in with a 1 over score after 9 but never kept it at 1 over going into the 13th hole, odds are the 12 you played is not really a 12.

Since Barry is in Ireland where it is waaaaaay harder to get a sandbagger cap than it is over here I'd say the guy simply played over his head today.

[quote name='Soloman1' timestamp='1381107990' post='7962729']
This is why you flight a tournament.
[/quote]

Correct.

Our men's Club Championships get flighted to 0-9, 10-17, 18-26, 27 to 36. Two day event. There are net prizes to be "Class Champions"

Then to get into the matchplay of each class, the gross sores are used. Then knockout stages to get "Club Champions".

That way the sandbaggers/higher handicappers in each division get something. So do the better gross players. Everybody happy

He should still post a score. The last holes would be what he would expect shoot.

I think it is possible. I played yesterday with a guy that was a 12 and he said his best round every on our course was 71, Par is 70. He had a chance on the last hole, middle of the fairway, 100 yards away, and plugged it in a bunker. Made bogey. He said he was bummed. I could see him doing it and I could also see him being a 12. Granted, shouldn't be happening often, but a 12 could be a couple over for 18 holes I think, and if he was once a 9, he for sure could be a couple over for 18. Just because he was 1 over for 13 doesn't mean he didn't have a couple of doubles ahead of him once the choke factor starts coming into play around hole 16 when he realizes he has a chance to shoot his best round etc etc.

[quote name='Hstead' timestamp='1381115037' post='7963253']
I think it is possible. I played yesterday with a guy that was a 12 and he said his best round every on our course was 71, Par is 70. He had a chance on the last hole, middle of the fairway, 100 yards away, and plugged it in a bunker. Made bogey. He said he was bummed. I could see him doing it and I could also see him being a 12. Granted, shouldn't be happening often, but a 12 could be a couple over for 18 holes I think, and if he was once a 9, he for sure could be a couple over for 18. [b]Just because he was 1 over for 13 doesn't mean he didn't have a couple of doubles ahead of him once the choke factor starts coming into play around hole 16 when he realizes he has a chance to shoot his best round etc etc.[/b]
[/quote]

Or once he realizes the match is over and he needs to keep his handicap up so he can continue to get strokes...

[quote name='minitour' timestamp='1381115125' post='7963257']
[quote name='Hstead' timestamp='1381115037' post='7963253']
I think it is possible. I played yesterday with a guy that was a 12 and he said his best round every on our course was 71, Par is 70. He had a chance on the last hole, middle of the fairway, 100 yards away, and plugged it in a bunker. Made bogey. He said he was bummed. I could see him doing it and I could also see him being a 12. Granted, shouldn't be happening often, but a 12 could be a couple over for 18 holes I think, and if he was once a 9, he for sure could be a couple over for 18. [b]Just because he was 1 over for 13 doesn't mean he didn't have a couple of doubles ahead of him once the choke factor starts coming into play around hole 16 when he realizes he has a chance to shoot his best round etc etc.[/b]
[/quote]

Or once he realizes the match is over and he needs to keep his handicap up so he can continue to get strokes...
[/quote]

Could be true too if he is regularly playing at 1 over through 13. It's that regularly thing that needs to be investigated.

Clubs have handicap committees over there so if this guy shoots in the low 70s on a regular basis I'm sure it will be dealt with.

A one off is possible though, I've seen a 12 shoot his all time low of 72 before.

[quote name='Hstead' timestamp='1381115251' post='7963267']
[quote name='minitour' timestamp='1381115125' post='7963257']
[quote name='Hstead' timestamp='1381115037' post='7963253']
I think it is possible. I played yesterday with a guy that was a 12 and he said his best round every on our course was 71, Par is 70. He had a chance on the last hole, middle of the fairway, 100 yards away, and plugged it in a bunker. Made bogey. He said he was bummed. I could see him doing it and I could also see him being a 12. Granted, shouldn't be happening often, but a 12 could be a couple over for 18 holes I think, and if he was once a 9, he for sure could be a couple over for 18. [b]Just because he was 1 over for 13 doesn't mean he didn't have a couple of doubles ahead of him once the choke factor starts coming into play around hole 16 when he realizes he has a chance to shoot his best round etc etc.[/b]
[/quote]

Or once he realizes the match is over and he needs to keep his handicap up so he can continue to get strokes...
[/quote]

Could be true too if he is regularly playing at 1 over through 13. It's that regularly thing that needs to be investigated.
[/quote]

Of course, if scores aren't entered hole-by-hole, how does one go about doing that?