World Amateur Match Race - 2023 Season

[GolfSpy SAM]

Hey all! 

  So, last year I heard about this event - the World Amateur Match Race (www.worldamateurmatchrace.com ).  Quick rundown: two-man teams (with up to two alternates for scheduling purposes) face off in a 4-ball, match play, better ball format.  Winners advance, but the great thing is there's still the chance to advance even with 1 loss (so, effectively, you'll play a minimum of two matches).  If you win 8 straight matches, you qualify for the final in Dubai (!), with travel, lodging, etc. all paid for.  

  There is an entry fee, but my buddies and I entered early so it was discounted.  (more details can be found on their site, linked above)

   Unfortunately, we did not make it to the finals.  This is a HILARIOUS understatement, as we didn't even win one match.  BUT: it was SO fun.  I'd never played match play before, and the website automatically accounts for handicaps, giving strokes as necessary based on the course that the home team picks (each match has a "home" and "away" team, so that at least once you get to pick the course you play (and for us, lose) at).  

   Our first match was pretty close - we were down one through 14 (we HAD been down 4 through 10, but we clawed our way back), but then my partner and I both crapped the bed on a gettable par-5, and the other team birdied, effectively making the match theirs. 

  ANYWAY, we've signed up again for this season, and our first match is next Monday, May 8th.  

  I wanted to post here, a) to see if anyone else has entered this tourney (either in the past or, even better, this year), and b) to be able to give updates as our matches go along.  

  Our first match is against a pair of brothers with handicaps of 5.7 and 8.8, which means my partner and I will be getting at least a few strokes (as we're 11.4 and 13) on the 18.  We'll be playing a local course here that I've only played once before, but my partner has played many times, so we should (in theory) have a small advantage there.

  I'm REALLY looking forward to it, and am hopeful that the things I've been working on at the range and in my practice sessions will come together next Monday to secure us the victory.  

  I'll update here - feel free to ask any questions, or post about any match play experience you've had, as well as any tips for getting my partner and I through to the finish line. 

  Cheers!