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

• match player
  noun

Etymology

Origin of match play

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

match play

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

The Ryder Cup takes place every two years and sees 24 of the best players from Europe and the United States go head-to-head over three days in match play competition.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 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

Rachel Heck delivered the final point in a 3-2 victory and the celebration was on for Stanford, the No. 1 team and the top seed going into match play.

From Seattle Times ● May 22, 2024

Physical fitness is one of the great essentials of match play.

From The Art of Lawn Tennis by Tilden, William (Bill) Tatem