Don't Give Up When You're

Golf history is full of stories of players who came back from seemingly impossible deficits. The most astounding may be the match between Al Watrous and Bobby Cruickshank in the 1932 PGA Championship. Nine holes down with 12 to play, Cruickshank fought his way back and won in sudden death. More recently, Tiger Woods capped his amateur career in 1996 by coming from five holes down in the final match to win his third consecutive U.S. Amateur.  

 

Never say never, either in the course of a match or the play of a hole. Let's say Player A puts his approach to a par four on the green 30 feet away, and then Player B knocks his ball into a pond in front of the green. Too often, this is where B concedes the hole, in his mind if not aloud. The fact is, he still has a chance. By taking a drop, pitching close, and holing the putt he'll make a five, forcing Player A to two-putt for victory or three-putt and halve. In singles match play, many holes are won with a bogey. 

 

Furthermore, once you show yourself to be a quitter, your opponent will be encouraged -- and the opposite is also true. As Darwin observed, "There is nothing more wearing to a leader who is playing well than the knowledge that his enemy is refusing to crack. If by hanging on we can drive that knowledge into him, we may make him crack instead."

Read more: http://www.golf.com/instruction/10-commandments-match-play#ixzz2lTk5HLlU