Rooting for or Against

[Goober]

Question for the group as it is something I have been thinking about. If you are playing match play and are competing, are you rooting for or against your opponent, shot by shot? 

Meaning as they tee off, do you hope they find bunkers, etc. 

There is no right or wrong answer, but was genuinely curious as it came up recently.

[DaveP043]

Its an interesting question.  In a perfect world  (for me) we'd both play well, and I'd win.  I've played in a few matches like that, and they're the absolute best.  But I can't say I'm rooting FOR my Opponent.  I try to stay kind of neutral, to expect them to play well on each shot, while I understand that they WILL make some mistakes.  I don't necessarily hope for a mistake, but I'm usually not saddened either. 

Does that evade the question enough, or should I go on?

[Blueberry_Squishie]

All the Australians giggling at this thread title.

[Goober]

I was going to add that back in the 90’s. Was invited to a 2 man match play event.The first round we played the winners and were beaten 8 up.We got slaughtered.Our opponents were a dad and son team.The son held the whole team and was striking the ball exquisitely.So instead of cheering against I was just observing what he was doing better than me.Even asked him after the round about his swing and he confirmed what I saw.So yes we got stomped, and no I didn’t cheer against.But can say I learned a tip or two by watching his masterful play 

[Ron Whitmore]

Neither.  Just play the course.  

[Bobbers]

When I play blackjack I always assume the dealer has a "10" as their hole card, i.e. they're going to do well.  Same applies to my thinking in golf, I assume the opponent is going to do well and use that to help me focus.  Rooting "against" someone is giving them too much of my attention and is nothing but a distraction for me at least.

[MattF]

Fairly certain I know where you saw this elsewhere and it's a good thread.

I hope they play well but I play a bit better.

I will cheer them on because despite what others may think, I'm not a Richard.

21 hours ago, Blueberry_Squishie said:

All the Australians giggling at this thread title.

[Hook DeLoft]

I hope the lousy bum has a seizure.  Just kidding.  I have been known to think “miss it, miss it” but I generally try to just play my game and be a gracious loser or winner. 

[hckymeyer]

Hope they play bad, but expect them to play well.  Either way try to play my game and just be a little bit better than them.

I can honestly say they only time I've ever rooted for an opponent in match play was one time in a double's best ball match.  We were getting absolutely demolished but one of our opponents was on a heater.  It reached a point half way through the match that I was just rooting for him because I wanted to see how low he could go.  

He shot 64 on his own ball.  It was impressive.

[barney_bogey]

Hmmm... I'm probably not alone in saying that I seem to play better when my group/partner is also playing well. So it's a two edged sword.

That said, I try not to hope for other people's failure in general. Better player that day will win without my putting bad juju in the air.

B

[StrokerAce]

my league the last 2 years was match play and I don't ever recall rooting against an opponent.

what I do pay attention to is when they make a mistake and trying to capitalize on it - i.e. both of them are OB so I might take a "safer" club to not join them OB

[Golf2Much]

I try and not get caught up wasting brain cells and emotions on how the other guy is playing.  The game gets tough enough thinking about how I'm playing.  I tend to believe they will make the shots so I have to focus and play the best that I can to beat them.   

Once you take your foot off the pedal, something always happens to bite you.  I was playing in my first official match play event at a new club I joined.  It was the par four third hole.  I limped one off the tee, mis hit my second and ended up pin high in a trap left of the green in three.  He was on in two putting for birdie and counting the hole as a win.  I holed out from the sand for par and flustered, he three putted for bogey.   Expect the worse!

Edited March 27 by Golf2Much

[RickyBobby_PR]

If you’re thinking about their play good or bad you are already mentally out of it.

Play your game and react to the situation at hand and whatever they do good or bad doesn’t matter.

 

[Micah T]

I want my opponent to play well. The last thing I want is to watch my opponent scuffle all day.