Try Hard from the Start

The natural tendency is to be a bit lackadaisical about the first few holes of a match. "There's a lot of golf left" is the standard rationalization for a poor start. Some players even cling to the perverse belief that a victory at hole number one is a bad omen. 

 

But the first hole is just as important as the last -- in fact, a fast start puts immediate pressure on one's opponent. The wise player thus gets straight to business, with a minimum of socializing on the early holes. In the cautionary words of Hutchinson, "Applying oneself fully to one's work is impossible while discussing politics, the crops, weather, and the grouse."

Read more: http://www.golf.com/instruction/10-commandments-match-play#ixzz2lTjJNmj9