The Conceded Putt

[Bob_Huntley]

Watching the number of tiddling putts missed at the Presidents Cup, I wonder if we will see less gimmees at future Pro Match Play events?

I think I will be less generouus in my next Wolf Game.

Bob

[John Kirk]

Interesting subject.

I believe the the missed short putt is the most painful of miscues.  Although I tend to be less generous giving putts than most, since I believe it to be good practice to putt them under minor pressure for times when you really need to make them, the knowledge that failure at close range can be devastating impacts my decision making.

I think we ought to putt everything over about 22 inches.  The pros can give themselves three and four footers if they want.

[Carl Rogers]

the complexity of the greens and the variable conditions of play at RM each day has something to do with it.

[Bill_McBride]

One reason the guys at my club typically have vanity handicaps is all those 3- and 4-footers that are "good."

[PCCraig]

I've always said, if you have to ask... It's not good!

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Bob, You are the master of the wolf game already. I have enjoyed this play out as well. I used to caddie as a lad in a pretty good match play event each year. Many of the guys I caddied for later were tour players. They all had their own strategies depending on day match opponent etc. The one that seemed most common against a lessor players was not not let him put a short one till the 12th hole or later. It seems the speed of the greens and the wind are making it more of an issue this week. I have seen some pretty shaky strokes by the best in the world the last few days.

[Rick Shefchik]

I believe one tends to give the length of putt one would like to have given in return.

The best way to be given longer putts (and yes, Bill, I agree that three-foot gimmes are a major source of handicap deflation) is to make almost all of your short putts. The converse is certainly true, as I can testify from personal experience.

[Bill_McBride]

I've always said, if you have to ask... It's not good!

I have an old buddy in Madison, WI whose vanity license plate reads "IISFEPI."

"If it's so f**ng easy putt it!"

[Mark_Rowlinson]

You can't put a card in for handicap purposes in the UK unless you hole out every stroke. But in social play and match play the giving of putts is an art.

[Joe Leenheer]

You can't put a card in for handicap purposes in the UK unless you hole out every stroke. But in social play and match play the giving of putts is an art.

Would a round played in a competitive match (regardless if a short putt is conceded) be a better representation of ones ability then a casual round where every putt is holed?  Are "Tournament" scores used in the UK?  

[Howard Riefs]

This summer, I played in a match where my opponent conceded every putt to me that was within his 28 inch "circle of trust." It wasn't arbitrary. He would put his putter on the green -- if the ball was between the bottom of the grip to the end of the head, it was good. It was a bit generous but I didn't argue. 

Admittedly, I was a little more forgiving in return. But not by much.

[James Bennett]

Bob

I didn't see much conceded at all so far - including players having two putts for the win from 4 feet!  see ernie Els on 7 west (#5) on Saturday morning.

Whilst I am generally critical of the players for not understanding matchplay and so playing out a few redundant instances, I am happier to see them putting out the two footers from a general golf perspective.

There was one example where someone 'got it' yesterday afternoon.  YE Yand and KT Kim were having an incredible battle against Tiger and DJ (?).  On 17 green, YE yang had a four footer for a par, on a similar line to KT Kim's 20 foot birdie putt.  The nob at the fron left was effecting the hole location, so it was an area of the green where the break could go the other way.  Tiger he a 16 footer for birdie after a very good approach.

YE Yang nearly got to putting his ball down to play in team order but before KT Kim played.  NEARLY.  Tiger said 'that is GOOD' without blinking an eye or missing a heartbeat.  Then Kim just missed his puttt (and so did Tiger).

James B

[Zack Molnar]

James,

I also noticed Tiger's adept use of the gimme. His putt was right on the same line as Kim's and therefore would have given him a fantastic read. Unfortunately, TW also went on to miss.

I too have been surprised as to the relatively large number of shorter putts missed. As someone who has never played the course, do others think that it has more to with the wind, or are these greens that hard to read?

Zack

[Mark Pearce]

You can't put a card in for handicap purposes in the UK unless you hole out every stroke. But in social play and match play the giving of putts is an art.

Would a round played in a competitive match (regardless if a short putt is conceded) be a better representation of ones ability then a casual round where every putt is holed?  Are "Tournament" scores used in the UK?  

Joe,

Without wishing to rehash old threads, the only rounds that count towards handicap in the UK are competitive rounds.  And yes, that does make a difference.

[Mark Chaplin]

Bob be generous on the early holes and when the oppo has a tricky little 20" putt and wanders up with puppy eyes, give him a steely look and watch him crumble!!

The conceded putt is a great matchplay tactic.

[Bob_Huntley]

Bob

I didn't see much conceded at all so far - including players having two putts for the win from 4 feet!  see ernie Els on 7 west (#5) on Saturday morning.
Jim,

I didn't say that I saw putts conceded, I did say that I have never seen so many short putts having to be made.

Bob

[Rick Shefchik]

Bob has the steely look -- and the perfect remark when his opponent misses the shortish putt not given:

"Pity."

[Bob_Huntley]

Bob

I didn't see much conceded at all so far - including players having two putts for the win from 4 feet!  see ernie Els on 7 west (#5) on Saturday morning.
Jim,

I didn't say that I saw putts conceded, I did say that I have never seen so many short putts having to be made.

Bob

[Kevin Pallier]

I too have been surprised as to the relatively large number of shorter putts missed. As someone who has never played the course, do others think that it has more to with the wind, or are these greens that hard to read?

Zack

The greens are so hard that you notice not many balls that hit the lip will drop. They havent been that way for some time but are back to their best. The countours are only enhanced by the pace of the greens. Given the above Its all about hitting it on the right line at the right pace as they run out on the line.

They seem the quickest they've ever been this week and with the wind they had on Friday maybe they were needing to read the wind into some putts ?

[Niall C]

Bob

I played a bounce game with mates last week where me and my partner were getting a pasting. On what became the last hole of the match I had an 18 inch putt to half and keep the game going. Now the greens were poor but even so its the sort of putt that would normally have been given. With my partner virtually standing on my toes waiting to put the flag in I casually flicked my putter at the ball and it bounced of the face, hit the side of the hole and spun out. End of game.

Even though I was annoyed at myself, I suspect I felt better than our opponents who felt a bit sheepish about not giving it. Didn't stop the slagging mind you.

Niall

[Pete Blaisdell]

Jack conceding Jacklin's putt in the RC is perhaps the most famous but the most interesting concession I recall was in the US Amateur about 20 years ago with Phil. First hole of the match, Phil had a 10-12 footer for birdie and his opponent had beat it around and had a 35 footer for PAR. Phil gave him the 35 footer and then just stepped up and drilled his birdie putt . Match was over right then and there. Never saw anyone do that and I've refereed 94 USGA Championship matches. That's what I call confidence and some big cojones.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Jack conceding Jacklin's putt in the RC is perhaps the most famous but the most interesting concession I recall was in the US Amateur about 20 years ago with Phil. First hole of the match, Phil had a 10-12 footer for birdie and his opponent had beat it around and had a 35 footer for PAR. Phil gave him the 35 footer and then just stepped up and drilled his birdie putt . Match was over right then and there. Never saw anyone do that and I've refereed 94 USGA Championship matches. That's what I call confidence and some big cojones.

89 Merion East  10th hole ??  Saw the exact same thing.

[Bob_Huntley]

I think this is one of the best stories on conceded putts.

Back in the late fifties at MPCC, the seven time club champion was a local guy by the name of Buck Hennekin. When Snead played in the Crosby he always asked for Buck. When it came time for the Club Championship, the top flight had to include players with some high handicaps. Hennekin's first round opponent elected to forfeit and withdrew, not wanting to be a sacrificial lamb. Buck came up with a solution, as soon as his opponent was on the green he could pick up his ball , no putting required.

Buck won 5 and 4.

Bob

[Adam Clayman]

Conceding a putt as a general rule is not golf. 5 inch putts are very missable. In a match, I will concede putts that I'm very confident the opponent will make. It could be a 5 footer, but, if that's what I think, that's what I do.

In the one club championship, (2nd Flight) I won, I was playing a guy who was a tad abrasive. I found if I didn't watch him putt out, he missed every time. I thought an ingenious strategy on my part. It took away all of his incentive to show off.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Bob,

First and foremost, it was good to see you in New York recently.

I think the phone message provided an inkling as to how out of control some people can get about what's typed on GCA.com

In the group I've been playing with for 45+ years, we don't concede any putts, since it's foursomes against  foursomes. (threesomes against threesomes, best ball of two and singles matches against other groups)

Whenever a new golfer (read pidgeon) comes into our group (on double secret probation) they're shocked when informed that their one foot putt isn't good.  It unnerves them and usually results in more than a few missed putts, especially if they've been playing "leather" in their other games.

When matches are head to head, distance becomes a factor of how generous you feel like being, AND, the amount of the wager.
For $ 2, you can have anything within 3 feet.  For $ 2,000 I think you'd better putt everything out.