Is Matchplay a dying art?
September 19th, 2006 by Doogs
Paul Casey (ranked 11th in the World) defeated Shaun Micheel (ranked 56) to win the recent World Matchplay Championships. Casey won by a crushing 10&8. Only a couple of days earlier, Micheel had easily defeated the best player in the World (His Tigerness).
Matchplay has a couple of problems, from a spectator on TV or in person, its a series of individual matches so its difficult to follow. Matches can also finish early, such as Caseys whitewash. The professionals dont seem to focus on Matchplay titles as much either. If Tiger and Micheel has been level on a final day of any stroke tournament, Tiger would win every time, he is that good.
Matchplay requires a different mindset, a 2 iron smashed to within tap in distance for eagle on a tough par 5 is much more powerful on the leaderboard and on the opposition in stroke, than it is in matchplay. In matchplay that can be cancelled the very next hole. A birdie barrage over 4 holes in stroke can create a sound buffer in stroke, in matchplay it can be easily withered away.
Professionals used to play a lot more matchplay than they do now, Majors such as the PGA were matchplay titles. Id put money on Bobby Jones over Tiger in a matchplay final!
