Linda,
I was in a match play tournament that was addressed by the club pro before we started. One of the rules he went over was succession putting. He said that - unlike stroke play - in match play succession putting was not allowed. This made for a very long round. If I made my putt first and did not sink it, I had to mark my ball and wait for my opponent to give the putt to me or until everyone else finished their putting. I’ve played match play for a long time and never heard of this rule and I couldn’t find it in the rules of golf.
Can you clear this up for me? Thanks.
Lulu
Dear Lulu,
There is no penalty in stroke play if you putt continuously (i.e., your putt stops near the hole and you putt again, technically “out of turn,” to complete your play of the hole). This practice is encouraged in stroke play, since it tends to speed up play [Decision 10-2b/1].
Match play is an entirely different story. While there is no penalty for playing out of turn, your opponent has the option of recalling your stroke and making you repeat it [Rule 10-1c]. There is strategy involved with not permitting your opponent to putt out of turn. As a player, you should not give up that advantage.
If my opponent’s ball is not close enough to concede, then I expect her to mark it. If she asks permission to putt, I deny it. (I always get a surprised and sometimes angry response to this denial, but neither response concerns me. A player who understands match play understands that putting is not continuous in match play.)
If I make my putt, then I will generally concede a reasonably close putt to halve the hole. But if I miss my putt, then the pressure is now on my opponent to make her putt for the win. If I allow her to putt first, I have put undue pressure on myself to make the longer putt. Why would I want to do that?
The problem I see with some match play is that players are reluctant to concede very short, easy putts. I find this reluctance baffling. This is what contributes to a long round, not the fact that you will have to mark your ball and wait your turn. If putts are conceded when appropriate, a round of match play is generally quicker than a round of stroke play.
The bottom line is that your pro is correct. You are not entitled to putt continuously in match play. Mark your ball and wait your turn.
Linda
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