match play

American  

noun

Golf.

1. play in which the score is reckoned by counting the holes won by each side.

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match play British  

noun

1. golf Compare Stableford stroke play

   1. scoring according to the number of holes won and lost

   2. ( as modifier )

      a matchplay tournament

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• match player
  noun

Etymology

Origin of match play

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

With match play, players compete to win individual holes, so if you land in an unraked bunker, and need three strokes to get out of it, you simply lose that hole.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

If this were 1974, TV fans could have seen this knock-down, grudge match play out in real time.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2024

"I've played in a few. I love playing match play."

From BBC • Aug. 26, 2024

Excerpts from a women’s soccer match play on a screen; she says nothing, her slouching body in silent contrast to the athletes’ lean physiques.

From New York Times • Feb. 6, 2024

Of course in match play it is quite different.

From Lawn Tennis for Ladies by Lambert Chambers, Mrs.