Handicap scores in Match Play

[Mr. Bean]

In my country Match Play scores are not accepted as handicap scores but in USGA area they are. I faced a question about a Hole In One and started to ponder what would the score be for handicap purposes.

 

Par 3 hole. Player A hits his ball onto the green and very close to the hole (virtually tap-in for birdie). B hits his ball into the adjacent pond and concedes the hole to A. As they are walking towards the green a gust of wind blows A's ball into the hole. Is that a HIO and the score for handicap purposes is 1 ?

 

What if a player concedes a hole after he has made a stroke at that hole but the opponent has not? What is the score for handicap purposes?

[Augster]

In the first instance, because playerB conceded the hole, and PlayerA’s ball subsequently rolls in for a 1, the player should record a 1 and buy drinks. 
 

It gets trickier when Player A stiffs it and Player B, before he even hits a shot says, “That’s good. I guess I’ll have to make birdie to tie the hole.” Then hits his tee ball. On the walk up to the hole, Player A’s ball rolls in for a “1”. 
 

For match purposes, he scored a 2. For cap purposes, he should also score a 2. But it also counts as an ace, for lifetime count purposes, and he has to buy drinks. 

In your second scenario, the player conceding posts his MLS up to NDB. The player who never hit a shot can choose to play out the hole and post that score, or never hit a shot and post par+(hole not played), or hit a shot or two then pick up and take MLS up to NDB. 
 

That’s how I see it anyway. 

 

[Colin L]

1 hour ago, Augster said:

 

It gets trickier when Player A stiffs it and Player B, before he even hits a shot says, “That’s good. I guess I’ll have to make birdie to tie the hole.” Then hits his tee ball. On the walk up to the hole, Player A’s ball rolls in for a “1”. 
 

For match purposes, he scored a 2.

 

I'm not immediately convinced of that.  My first thought is that the concession is a concession of the "next stroke'.  The wind blows the ball into the hole and is thus holed from the first shot.  There is no "next stroke" and so the concession is void.

 

Just a first thought, though, and it needs a bit more thinking through.  

[Mr. Bean]

4 hours ago, Colin L said:

I'm not immediately convinced of that.  My first thought is that the concession is a concession of the "next stroke'.  The wind blows the ball into the hole and is thus holed from the first shot.  There is no "next stroke" and so the concession is void.

 

Just a first thought, though, and it needs a bit more thinking through.  

 

I agree. It should not matter how many strokes the opponent has taken is the player only has taken one and the ball eventually rolls into the hole.

[Mr. Bean]

6 hours ago, Augster said:

In your second scenario, the player conceding posts his MLS up to NDB. The player who never hit a shot can choose to play out the hole and post that score, or never hit a shot and post par+(hole not played), or hit a shot or two then pick up and take MLS up to NDB. 
 

That’s how I see it anyway. 

 

 

That sounds reasonable.

[North Butte]

Not that I'm any good at parsing Rules and Decisions but it seems to me when a putt or hole is conceded the USGA handicap system says you should post the score you most likely would have made without the concession (i.e. if someone could concedes a 50-foot par putt because they're out the hole, you post bogey and not par). Under that reasoning, if the opponent had not conceded before the ball toppled in then you'd have made an ace so that's what you post.

 

But I swear I've played with guys who would insist on posting a 2 on the hole in that situation just so it helps them with their "handicap maintenance". And also to get out of buying drinks 🤫

[Mr. Bean]

6 minutes ago, North Butte said:

Not that I'm any good at parsing Rules and Decisions but it seems to me when a putt or hole is conceded the USGA handicap system says you should post the score you most likely would have made without the concession (i.e. if someone could concedes a 50-foot par putt because they're out the hole, you post bogey and not par). Under that reasoning, if the opponent had not conceded before the ball toppled in then you'd have made an ace so that's what you post.

 

 

It seems to me you overruled your own reasoning there. The key is that the ball was holed with or without the concession with one single stroke so the score must be the same with or without concession, right?

[North Butte]

40 minutes ago, Mr. Bean said:

 

It seems to me you overruled your own reasoning there. The key is that the ball was holed with or without the concession with one single stroke so the score must be the same with or without concession, right?

To be clear, I think it posts for handicap as a 1 rather than a 2. It would have posted as a 1 if he hadn't conceded, it still posts a 1 when he does concede.