GOLF
What is the fourball format in golf? And how do you play foursomes?
The fourball golf match play rules – used in the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, and Presidents Cup – involves two teams of two golfers competing against each other.
In golf, the fourball format is a type of match-play competition where two players form a team, and each player plays their own ball throughout the round i.e. there are four balls in play. The team’s score for each hole is determined by the lower of the two players’ individual scores. At the end of the round, the team with the most holes won emerges victorious.
So, this sees both players on each team tee off and play their own ball until they complete the hole. One teammate possibly scores a four and the other scores a five, the team’s score for that hole is recorded as four. This format allows for one player to perform poorly, either on a particular hole or several, as the other compensates.
Why are 18 holes not always needed in fourball?
Fourball can be played in either stroke play or match play format, depending on the rules of the tournament or competition. In stroke play, the team with the lowest total score at the end of the round wins. In match play, as seen in the Ryder Cup, Solheim Cup, and Presidents Cup, the team that has the most holes won at the end of the round wins. Half a point is given to both teams if the hole is tied.
Often the full 18 holes are not completed, with a result of say ‘5 and 4′ recorded meaning that one team is five holes ahead with just four remaining. Given that the trailing team cannot catch their opponents, hands shake and the match ends. Total wins and ties are added up and contribute to the overall team scores.
Foursomes or alternate shot
Foursomes, also known as alternate shot, is a golf format played by two-player teams, where each team plays with a single ball, taking alternate shots until the hole is completed. Here are the basic rules of foursomes:
- Players on a team take turns hitting the same ball. One player tees off on the odd-numbered holes, and the other on the even-numbered holes.
- After the tee shot, the team selects which ball to play and alternates shots until the ball is holed. For example, if Player A hits the tee shot, Player B will hit the next shot, then Player A again, and so on, until the ball is in the hole.
- The team with the lowest score on the hole wins that hole.
- The team that wins the most holes during the round wins the match.
- In foursomes, there is no order in which the players must take their shots, so the team can decide who will hit each shot based on each player’s strengths.
It’s clearly all about teamwork and players must be careful not to hit a shot that would make it difficult for their partner’s next attempt in foursomes. For example, if Player A hits a shot into a bunker, Player B will have to hit the next shot from the sand, which can be challenging. That’s an obvious one. Where communication and strategy between teammates becomes more nuanced is considering not where you would like to play your next shot (the normal thinking process in golf) but instead where your teammate would fare best from.