Singles Match Play
One player against one, decided hole by hole. The purest match-play format and the anchor of every Ryder Cup Sunday.
What it is
Singles is head-to-head match play: two golfers play their own ball and compete for each hole. Win the hole, go one up. Lose it, go one down. Halve it, no change.
The match is won when a player is up by more holes than remain. A 4 and 3 win means four up with three to play, so the match ends on the 15th green.
How scoring works
- 1.On each hole, both players record their net score after handicap strokes are applied.
- 2.The lower net score wins the hole and moves the match one in that player's favor.
- 3.Tied holes are halved and carry no change to the match score.
- 4.Play continues until one player's lead is larger than the number of holes left, or all 18 are played and the match is decided or halved.
Handicaps
Strokes are allocated on the difference between the two players' course handicaps. The higher handicap receives that difference, dropped on the hardest-ranked holes by stroke index. Sunday Singles calculates and shows each stroke automatically.
Best for
The Sunday finale of a Ryder Cup trip, grudge matches, and any time you want a clean one-on-one contest with full drama down the stretch.
Score Singles Match Play automatically
Sunday Singles handles the handicaps, the scoring, and a live TV leaderboard for the whole trip. Set up your first round free.
Common questions
What does 3 and 2 mean in match play?
Three up with two holes to play. The lead is larger than the holes remaining, so the match is over and the final two holes are not played.
Do you play all 18 holes in singles match play?
Only if the match stays close. Once a player is up by more holes than remain, the match ends early. If it is all square after 17, the 18th decides it or the match is halved.