Group Stages Compromise WGC Match Play Golf Knockout match play is unpredictable and that is why we like it. However, the demands of modern sport for sponsors and TV means that you also need to have your best players around if at all possible. Here is how the WGC Match Play Golf tried to solve … Continued
World Rugby Sevens Fixtures On Repeat Knockout events for teams create that win or go home mentality that brings out the best in international team sport. However when you have a global series of rugby match play team events there needs to be a safety net for the players and teams to justify the commercial … Continued
The Concession 1969 Ryder Cup Heading into the final round of singles matches in the 1969 Ryder Cup at Royal Birkdale, the Great Britain side were tied 8-8 with the United States team, thanks in no small part to the part played by that year’s Open Champion Tony Jacklin. Jacklin had won 3.5 out of … Continued
The Best Leg Of All Time The 2023 PDC World Darts Final between Michael Smith and three time world champion Michael Van Gerwen turned on a match play moment in what is simply known as the ‘Best Leg Of All Time’. The 9 dart finish is the ultimate in darts as it is the fewest … Continued
The Black Ball Final In what became known as the Black Ball final of the 1985 World Snooker Championship was world #1 Steve Davis who had won the event in 1981, 1983 and 1984. His opponent was Northern Irishman Dennis Taylor who was appearing in his second final, having been runner-up in 1979. It looked … Continued
Ballesteros & Olazabal Greatest Ryder Cup Pairing Severiano Ballesteros and Jose-Maria Olazabal are the greatest pair in Ryder Cup history. The match play record of the Spanish pair stands at 12 points from 15 matches over four Ryder Cups from 1987 to 1993. After winning 3 from 4 in their first match at Muirfield village … Continued
The Tie Break The Tie Break that was part of the 1980 Wimbledon Men’s Singles Final brought together two contrasting tennis players. The four time defending champion and seeded number 1 was the ice-cool Swede Bjorn Borg with the model looks. His opponent was the young brash American John McEnroe full of energy and attitude. … Continued
What Is A Plate Or Consolation Event? A plate or consolation match play event is a knockout draw for players who lose in the first round of a match play knockout event. The benefits of a plate competition are to give players a minimum of 2 games when they enter a match play knockout event. … Continued
Using Group Stages In Match Play Events Group stages or round robin stages in a match play knockout event are used to ensure players play a minimum number of games before they are eliminated. Otherwise players that lose their first match would be eliminated after one game unless there is a plate or consolation event. … Continued
What Is A Seeded Draw? A seeded draw places players in order throughout a draw so that the best players do not play each other until the later rounds if everything goes to form. Draws can either be fully seeded with every player position according to their ranking, or partially seeded where, for example, the … Continued