Sportsmanship - Running up the score and not conceding putts

[Michael Moore]

There was an absolutely fascinating profile of Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach in the New York Times on Sunday.

It talked about how he is pushing the forward pass and in fact the entire game of football in new directions - his numbers for passes attempted, yards gained and points scored are alarming. He has five receivers running every which way on pretty much every play.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the article was his disregard of traditional notions of sportsmanship. He is sort of a savant who seems entranced by the idea of scoring as many touchdowns as possible. As Lewis writes "Scoring is a habit, he says; the more players do it, the better they get at it."  The article mentions at least two instances of Leach calling time out with less than a minute remaining in a rout in order to get that last touchdown.

I will never forget tuning in to the US Amateur one day at work and the reaction of my ultra-competitive non-golfing boss to a conceded putt - "I would never, ever, ever do that!"

In match play we are taught to crush our opponent when he is down and end the match as quickly as possible. At the same time we are also taught to concede short putts.

What causes you to concede a putt? Or not?

[Tom Huckaby]

GREAT topic.

To me the fact that so many do concede short putts - for whatever reason - is just more testament to the superiority of golf over all other sports.

Why do it?

1.  To be sportsmanlike.  Like Jack Nicklaus in that famous Ryder Cup where he didn't think Jacklin could possibly miss, but he wasn't going to give him the chance to do so.  Jack just didn't want to win that way - he wanted to win on his own merit.  Try to equate that to team sports.  It's pretty damn tough.

2.  As a means of gamesmanship early - that is, to make the putts more difficult for your opponent at the end.  Obviously this flies in the face of #1 - and in my experience rarely works as a net gain - but again, the juxtaposition to one's actions in #1 is another fascinating part of all of this.

There are likely quite a few more reasons, but these two kinda say it all for me.

Now why would one NOT concede a putt?

That's going to require more ruminating.

TH

[Jason Topp]

For me, it is more of a social decision.  Whatever the norms of the group are, I abide by them.  

It is not always easy to know what is the right thing to do.  I was playing a vice president of my company in a Ryder Cup type event last fall.  We were even on the par 3 16th.  I buried my tee shot against the back lip of a bunker over the green and wound up making a long putt for a four.  My opponent left his 15 foot birdie putt about 2 feet short and the putt had a fair amount of slope to it.  I made him putt it, he missed and on the 18th he made me putt from 6 inches to win the match.    

It was either a good or bad career move.  We will see at year end.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tom Huckaby,

Had you and Mike Sweeney learned to concede putts this past June at Sand Hills, especially the 6 foot variety, we could have played faster, ergo, more holes, and the outcome would have remained the same.  

At least Chris Greco benefited from practicing 6 foot putts.

[Tom Huckaby]

 

Jason - oh man, adding career implications to this complicates things tremendously.  Having played quite a bit of golf with my work superiors, all I can say is I feel for ya man.  But that lack of concession on 18 couldn't have been an accident.

 

There is another side to this, though - I'm guessing most bosses would see through too many concessions pretty quickly also.  No one likes a brown-nose.  Or at least MOST don't like such.  One has to judge one's boss.

Side note:  you want golf pressure?  Try playing a scramble the bosses really want to win, where you've been invited because you're the "stick" in their minds... and they are all highly competitive 12-18 handicaps.  No, don't worry about getting that drive in play after three in a row are OB....

 

[Tom Huckaby]

Tom Huckaby,

Had you and Mike Sweeney learned to concede putts this past June at Sand Hills, especially the 6 foot variety, we could have played faster, ergo, more holes, and the outcome would have remained the same.  

At least Chris Greco benefited from practicing 6 foot putts.

Pat:

You are right.  So sadly, sadly right.  There is nothing worse than delaying the inevitable.  But call it a good learning experience for us.  

TH

[Mike Benham]

There was an absolutely fascinating profile of Texas Tech football coach Mike Leach in the New York Times on Sunday.

I agree, it is a very fascinating article, I just read it yesterday.

To keep the topic in an architectual vein (so that Paul Thomas doesn't skewer me ), Coach Leach has introduced width as part of the strategy of his football game plan.  He has his linemen take huge splits, between 3 - 6 from each other, to increase the distance that the defender will have to run to get to the quarterback and to open lines of slight for the quarterback[/b] to see the receivers/defenders.  This use of width is very similar to that on a golf course with wide fairways, allowing for option of play and the path to the green.

[Brent Hutto]

I guess my criterion for not conceding a putt is whether I'm willing to stand around for an extra 20-30 seconds on the off chance that my opponent misses it.

Or put another way, I only concede putts that offer me no hope of dodging a bullet by seeing my opponent miss a short one. So that depends on my opponent. I've played against guys fully capable of missing an uphill 15-incher and I let them putt everything. I've also played against guys fundamentally incapable of missing anything inside five feet but I try not to get too carried away.

BTW, Sean Arble will probably step in and insist my criteria for conceding putts is simply "never". He just happened to catch me on a very hopeful day I guess.

[Bob_Huntley]

I think the conceded putt in competitive type golf matches is also a psychological ploy of assumming superiority over your opponent.

I think the Guiness Book of Records should probably recount a match here at MPCC in the early fifties. The dominant player on the Peninsula was Buck Heneken who would partner Sam Snead in games leading up to the Crosby. He was good enough at times to better Sam's score. In the MPCC Club Championship there was dearth of really low handicappers, so the Championship flight would find a couple of guys competing at scratch with hdcps of 7 or 8. Henken's  first round opponent said he would withdraw as he had no hope of advancing. Heneken allowed that as soon as his man was on the green he would concede the putt. Henken won 6 and 5.

[JSlonis]

GREAT topic.


Now why would one NOT concede a putt?

That's going to require more ruminating.

TH

Tom,

That's an easy one.  You don't concede putts if...

1.  Your opponent is a jerk.
2.  Your opponent has the yips.
3.  Any combination of both 1 & 2
4.  If he's unfortunately both 1 & 2...you announce on the first green..."Looks like we'll be putting them all out today!"  

[Tom Huckaby]

Jamie - perfectly stated.  I can make no improvement on that.

 

Bob - great story - and man that is dominance.  

[Dan Herrmann]

Funny - the women I've seen play matches concede far fewer puts than guys.  Lockjaw seems to be common for many of 'em...

[Brent Hutto]

My wife doesn't play golf but if she did...

I have no doubt she would laugh out loud over the concept of conceding a putt. I think the whole issue of conceding putts or not is a form of one-upmanship and very much a "guy thing".

[Tom Huckaby]

Dan - I've noticed that too!  I was in a co-ed partners' match once and my partner nearly killed me for conceding a putt.  And this was definitely not a gamesmanship thing, this was just doing the Nicklaus thing.  She had no concept of that...

I do believe my wife would find the whole concept illogical also.

TH

[PThomas]

I hope what goes around comes around to that coach!

most of you are probably aware that many of Jack's team members were not happy with his concession  - the name of a course he and Tony are designing in FL. btw ....someone recently wrote that some wonder if Jack did it to "stick it" to Captain Snead, who angered him I believe, by resting him at one point during that Ryder Cup...personally, twas a great gesture by Jack, as was his suggestion and actions taken re the Ryder Cup becoming a Euro affair

and well-done Mike B!!

[Rick Shefchik]

My wife essentially learned the game playing with me, and therefor has learned to think about golf the way men do. In her club matches she concedes putts, but it's not often reciprocated. She doesn't get it -- but I think I do.

It's been my observation that women are less likely than men to give up something that they consider valuable, or theirs -- be it a tip, space on the sidewalk or even inches of borrow on a putt (think about it: don't women tend to play less break on putts than men? They do in my experience.)

To continue with this admitedly anecdotal theory, I think it stems from the same instinct that sees women more often running the household than men. They are in charge of the assets, and they don't part with any of them without having a damn good reason.

[George Pazin]

Side note:  you want golf pressure?  Try playing a scramble the bosses really want to win, where you've been invited because you're the "stick" in their minds... and they are all highly competitive 12-18 handicaps.  No, don't worry about getting that drive in play after three in a row are OB....

 

You forgot to add:

"And you know the winning score is going to be 60, because that's what seems to win all these types of events."

I am a big time wuss when it comes to conceding putts, probably because I feel bad at how badly I'm playing. It just feels wrong to make the other guy putt a 4 footer when he's been watching you hack it all over the course.

As for running up the score in other sports, I flat out don't understand the concept or the complaint. When you on the low side, suck it up and be a man, you deserve whatever you get. To expect someone else to ease off, especially with his 2nd or 3rd string, is just plain weak. And if you choose to run it up, beware of the future.

[Bill_McBride]

My wife and I play the occasional Sunday fourball vs a nice younger couple who do have some really annoying traits:

He uses one of those handheld GPS thingies shamelessly in spite of my calling him out on it virtually non-stop.

And she never concedes any putt and gets very unwound with her husband if he mistakenly does so!

So we got that going for us!  

[Tom Huckaby]

Bill - very interesting - more evidence to the "women don't give putts" theory.  As for the man and his use of GPS, he didn't claim the course or club had invoked the new local rule, did he?

 

George - 60?  Pshaw.  I once had a team shoot 56 and LOSE.  Especially in charity events where teams could buy mulligans, man one had to just give up on competitive chances.  Of course try to tell this to the bosses....

 

[Tommy_Naccarato]

A great subject. We don't talk enough on here about Match Play.

Originally when learning to play Match Play, I was always quite confused why I should ever want to concede a putt to a competitor. I just could never fathom it. But when I did start playing in SCGA Team Play in the 80's, I learned a lot. There is just something about conceding a gimme/99% makable putt to halve a hole, only to have it come back and get your competitor later in the match. It seems to happen when they need to make that important putt to win a hole or a match. I have found it uncanny at times how it can comeback to haunt you.

Maybe it has everything to do with human element of it all, and how we can sometimes get so confident that we lose focus, or just expect it to go in without effort, and when the importance of making the putt is out on the shoulders of a player, the possibility of failure comes to mind. I have always felt that when it comes to putting, (and even chipping) negative feelings means negative results, and in this case, say your opponent has given you like two or three two-three footers, and all of a sudden you need to make a putt, the ability to concentrate is going to be more on making it, instead of focusing on how your going to stroke the ball with complete confidence of the line of putt itself, and most, soft hands with no movements in the wrists. For me it leads to this really positive feeling, "I'm going to sink this."

I guess what I'm trying to say that putting is just as much part of acentuating the positive without getting too ignorant! And this is why conceding putts is about the surest way to let me beat myself!

My favorite match of all-time? Gib @ KPI-Barona Creek.

Tom, you were responsible for that match-up and it almost cost you guys! I hung in there hole for hole, until he started pulling away from me at the great 14th by going 1 up when he birdied. He got me again on the 15th to go 2 Up, but I proceeded to get one back at #16 when I sandy/parred from the back bunker with Pete Galea looking on. I had to sink about a downhill 6 footer, and made it, sending my message to Gibby that I wasn't going to be embarrased here, that I intended to pass right by him. However #17 ruined my day when over-confidence got the best of me and I lost one left over the fence line off of the tee. I was done, but it was by far the funnest, exciting match I've ever played.

[George Pazin]

How the heck do you engage in such a dishonorable match against Bill McBride?!?

I may not be much of a golfer, but at least I have some sense of etiquette!

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Panhandle Bill,
I think flat out and out calling him out as a cheater would work best in that situation. It would get to his head the entire round!

[Tommy_Naccarato]

Also, I have always found wishing bad mojo on someone works great during match play!

[George Pazin]

Does anyone believe it when a 4 man scramble produces a sub 60 round to win?

IMHO, it would take 4 damn good golfers to produce such a score. If you believe Dave Pelz's stats, it's almost impossible.

I'd believe a gca'er who told me a 58 was possible - share your story with me, assuage my fears.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Tommy Naccarato,

What affect will bringing back the STYMIE have on conceding putts ?