What’s the most dramatic way you’ve closed out a match?

[MPAndreassi]

One of the groups I play with at my club is doing a match play bracket amongst ourselves over the course of the next few weeks. 
 

Played my first round match today. We were even after the front then I won the first three holes of the back to go 3 up. Halved the next two, made a triple on 14 to fall to 2 up, halve on 15 to stay at 2 up. 
 

Our 16th hole isn’t anything awe inspiring. Short par 4 with a pond in front and a creek along the left side of the fairway. It’s reachable from the tee if you’re long enough, but wasn’t worth the risk with the match today. Laid up off of the tee, had 112 yards left to the flag and made it on the fly for an eagle to close it out. 
 

That’s the most memorable finish, with one swing, for me. 
 

Looking forward to hearing some other good stories as well. 

[isaacbm]

I played in a best ball match with my son this year against another team. A husband and wife team. They’re both club pros.

 

I made seven birdies, my son made four, our best ball was 62, (1team bogie)

Yet we we LOST on 18 after I hit wedge to a foot to the wife hitting driver - three wood to 6 feet and tapping in for eagle!!

I was in shock for 2 days! 

[MtlJeff]

I have a great one---Was playing in an interclub match about 10yrs ago. Was playing in the anchor spot meaning the #1 spot out of 10 players. In Quebec it's 4 clubs against each other in 4-way match play

 

Me and the last guy i was against were all close going into #17 but i was up 1. We were the last 2 players on the course and our teams were tied for 1st. There were probably 1000 people watching. The 17th was a par 3 and 160yds. I had the blocks as i was on a heater (shot 42-33 that day) and hit a 9 iron right off the pin to a tucked location. it dropped an inch from the hole, and i got huge applause.

 

The other guy hit it to 25 feet and missed his birdie and conceded the match and our team won by 2pts. Given the circumstances it's the best shot i've ever hit

 

 

[JeffreySpicoli]

Club championship. I’m in the finals against a cocky young buck.

 

10th hole. 475 yard par four.

 

Young buck hits his second shot to two feet with a pin that’s tucked in the rear right corner of a small green. You can tell from the look on his face that he believes he will win the hole despite a poor drive. (Just earlier he was visibly upset that I had outdrove him.)

 

I’m 215 yards out. I pull my 2 iron from my bag.

 

I step to the ball. I discreetly give a minor tip of my hat to the young buck. He smiles tightly  in somewhat feigned gratitude.

 

I decide to go flag hunting and I execute a towering shot with my patented baby draw—a risky shot given the pin position—and the ball drops ten feet in front of the hole and rolls into the cup.

 

I won—9 & 8.

[Hawkeye77]

In our inaugural member/member years ago I'm playing with my daughter who just graduated HS and it was basically match play as we found out the last few holes the other two competitors in our group were the only other pair close in score - it was the better ball of the two but stroke play format.  We have a two shot lead standing on 18 tee and a par means a win.  With a crowd watching up the hill around the green on the short but tricky dogleg par four I hit one out of bounds, then another, then look at my daughter who has seen this before, haha, and she smiles and hits a nice drive, nice approach and easy two putt par for the win.  I thoroughly enjoyed being out of the hole and watching her take care of things and the folks watching enjoyed it as well (and letting me know how useless I was, lol).  I just took a look at the little clear resin "trophy" I have on one of my golf book shelves to verify the date (we each got one) - my favorite of any tournament trophy or memento I've ever received from any activity.

[caniac6]

On 7/31/2021 at 7:59 PM, JeffreySpicoli said:

Club championship. I’m in the finals against a cocky young buck.

 

10th hole. 475 yard par four.

 

Young buck hits his second shot to two feet with a pin that’s tucked in the rear right corner of a small green. You can tell from the look on his face that he believes he will win the hole despite a poor drive. (Just earlier he was visibly upset that I had outdrove him.)

 

I’m 215 yards out. I pull my 2 iron from my bag.

 

I step to the ball. I discreetly give a minor tip of my hat to the young buck. He smiles tightly  in somewhat feigned gratitude.

 

I decide to go flag hunting and I execute a towering shot with my patented baby draw—a risky shot given the pin position—and the ball drops ten feet in front of the hole and rolls into the cup.

 

I won—9 & 8.

Must have been into the wind to hit your 2 from that distance.

[tips09]

Buddies trip final round of our team event all square after 18. Pro shop said we could go out again on 1 and keep going until the match was settled. Pushed my drive into the trees on the right but had a lane through to the green. Had to play a low runner from 165 out. Hit the exact shot I was trying to hit running the ball up to the bank on the left of the green and had the ball roll back towards the cup but out of sight. We got up to the green and found the ball in the hole. Nice way to finish off the trip.

[Pepperturbo]

Years back, most dramatic was a hole out using LW from 70yrds, out of 3" of rough, over a pond to tight front red pin.  My ball landed 5' behind the pin, spun back slowly into the cup finishing out the match.  Yes, the shot was kind a dramatic, but the drama was while I executed the shot, a hundred plus near drunk members hooping and hollering from their carts as they watched us come down the final holes.

[LeoLeo99]

20th hole in some big tournament that I forget the name of.  I'm a young buck up against a grisly old guy.  They warned me about him.  They were right.  This old guy drove it 180 but was very, very good inside of 100 yards.  I out drove him 50 to 100 yds every hole.   It was a really good match.  He hit the second play off hole green from 150 with a 5i and I hit a big draw 8i that hit the green and then my ball hopped into a pond.   He won with a par.  Still bothers me over 30 years later. 

[monty09]

Chicago Golf Club hole 17, down by 1, member wedges out for birdie to win match 2&1....   walk off!!!!

 

I lost but still a cool way to end match

[golfortennis]

Was 1 up on 18.  Pin is in back left section, on the upper shelf.  He is on in reg with a put up the shelf, about 20 feet, I put mine a bit long, so I'm about 30 feet, with a hog's back to come over.  Somehow the ball finds the bottom of the cup, as I might have been putting again.  

[OnTheBag]

I am in a regular group of 8 that does match play every other Sunday morning.  We play 9 then the winners advance to the next 9.  Top 2 have the possibility to play 27 holes.  

 

Yesterday in the first round, I was getting out driven on every hole by 30-40 yards, but the guy couldn't sink a putt.  I was just hanging on hole after hole.  #9 is a par 5, dogleg left at the end.  He outdrives me by 60 yards, goes for it in 2 and is in the rough to the right of the green.  I laid up to my Gap Wedge yardage and hit my 3rd toward the middle of the green.  

 

Got lucky and jarred it from the fairway for eagle to win the hole and match.  I got smoked in the 2nd round, but who cares.  Still better than doing yard work or antique shopping.

[KingstonGolfer]

Not a closing but first hole of match play I drained a 50 footer and the opponent missed his 1.5 footer

[tatertot]

15 minutes ago, Justin Spillman said:

Not a closing but first hole of match play I drained a 50 footer and the opponent missed his 1.5 footer

I've had 2 memorable ones ...

 

Weekly match play with my buddy ... we were playing with a stranger as our third ... I canned an 80-foot chip on the 18th for birdie to win the hole when my buddy had an easy par. The third just said "That was to tie the match, wasn't it."

 

18th hole of early round of Club Match Play ... up by 1 on last hole ... Opponent drives short par 4 for a 30-foot eagle putt ... I lay up to perfect wedge distance ... stiff the wedge to within a foot ... my birdie putt was shorter than his ... win the match 1-up.

[scottc25]

Not a win but a loss. I was 1 down in match play bracket at my club. I am sitting 20 feet for birdie and opponent misses the green way long and left (let's call it 45 yards). It's an elevated green with no green to work with but wind was in his face for some help. He hits a high pitch, going way too fast, and it 1 hops into the hole for birdie, match over.

[TheKrushh]

I holed a 161 yard pitching wedge from 161 for a 2 net 1 on the last of a 36 hole member member. We were playing with the guys who were ahead by one and he dropped to his knees when it went it. Won the trophy with my father in law and about 3500 from the calcutta!

[puttnforthe8]

Went into the last hole AS; Par 4; I snap hook it into the water on the left; take my drop and still have 230ish; flushed a 3 wood to the green. Figure I now have a chance to take it to extra holes. Get to the green and the guys on the other tee nearby start clapping for me as I get out of the cart.  I had made the shot for a birdie.  My opponent 2 putt for a par and I won the hole.

[fsusp]

In a member guest last summer. We were down 1 with 3 to play against the defending champs. My partner gets a stroke on this hole. 
 

We have a long uphill par 3 to play—190ish yards. Green side Bunker to the left. Bunker behind the green. Narrow shoot to tee off through. There is a small pond 30 yards to the front right of the tee box. It should never, ever, ever be in play. 
 

The defending champs have honors. The first hits it pin high in the bunker to the left. The second hits his long and left just in the fringe. 
 

My partner cold tops his tee shot into the water that is essentially impossible to hit into. 
 

He’s running hot. So, I hit a weak fade short and right of the green—front fringe. 
 

My partner retees and hits it long in the back side bunker. He is laying 3 now. 
 

My partner is away. He hits a great 20 yard bunker shot—it trundles on the green and he holes it!  Bogey 4, net 3!

 

The defending champs are ticked and proceed to hit bad shots and can’t get up and down. 
 

We win that hole and the next 2 holes to close out the match. We win the 18th hole for bonus points as well. This match win won our flight! 
 

 

 

Another story. 
 

Playing in a member match play event. I win the first hole with a birdie. We both par the next hole. 
 

Then we are on a long pat 3. 200 yards. A little slope right of the green which if hit, can funnel the ball left towards the hole. 
 

I have honors and stuff it to 1 foot. I’m thinking I’m going to go 2 up. 
 

My opponent blocks his shot right but it catches the slope and is directed to the hole. He jars it for a hole in one. 
 

We are now tied. I ended up losing the match on the last hole. 
 

 

Those are the two most memorable holes I have from some matches. 

[AntLockyer]

Canning my 120 yard approach on the 19th hole in front of the clubhouse