For new golf fans tuning in to watch the Presidents Cup during the four-day tournament, the format might have caught a few off guard. As opposed to the traditional stroke play format used in the four Majors, the competition pits golfers against one another in a match play format.

The differences in the two formats meant that teams had to prepare in different ways. While Scottie Scheffler might play conservatively in other events in the pursuit of victory, he instead might be more aggressive at Medinah. But what factors come into play in match play that distinguish how players approach a stroke play event?

Understanding the Mechanics of Both Formats

Before delving into that, it’s important to understand how the two formats operate. Annual viewers of the Masters or The Open will be most familiar with stroke play, where the number of strokes across a 72-hole tournament is tallied cumulatively, and the player with the lowest score wins.

Match play, however, differs in its scoring system, as golfers are pitted against each other in a head-to-head competition. If you win the hole by completing it in fewer strokes than your opponent, your score is 1 up, while a loss means you are 1 down. The golfer who wins the most individual holes wins the match, not the one who played the fewest strokes.

Typically reserved for team events such as the Presidents Cup and, more famously, the Ryder Cup, there are also different formats within match play. For example, the Presidents Cup uses singles matches, foursomes (where two players share one ball and alternate shots), and four-ball (where partners compete together, playing their own golf balls, with the lowest score counting for the team).

Sadly, for those who love the format used in Illinois, October is dominated by PGA Tour events such as the Baycurrent Classic and Mexico Open, all of which are stroke play. A few players will be earmarked as potential candidates in betting markets, where fans are able to use the BetMGM promo code. But just because someone impresses in a match play tournament does not mean they are worth backing in a stroke play competition.

The Differences in Approach to Both Formats

While taking risks can occasionally pay off in golf tournaments, it’s an all-too-familiar sight to see the ball nestling in a bunker or off the green as players attempt to steal a march on the field. In match play, this doesn’t matter as much, as your tally for one hole doesn’t carry over to the next. You can play more aggressively, and if it doesn’t pay off, you still start the next hole on a level playing field and can claw a point back.

Because you’re not playing against the entire field, you can take more risks than in a stroke play tournament, where the margin for error is razor-thin. That, of course, also brings a psychological factor into play. Composure is key, with the ability to shake off a bad hole crucial to hopes of victory over a 72-hole event.

Then there’s the question of whether you need to worry about how your opponents are performing. In match play, the fact that you’re playing against one specific opponent means that you are always in the loop. Head-to-head play also allows you to base your own shot selection on their most recent stroke – whether they’ve taken a risk that paid off, or perhaps playing it safer if they’ve skewed the ball into the trees.

The same is not true in stroke play, where many golfers decide not to pay attention to how the rest of the field is faring to concentrate on their own game. Of course, some like to know exactly how others are playing, particularly when leading the tournament, as that can determine shot selection and whether they need to take risks out of necessity.