The Battle at Bighorn is a match-play event. Regular PGA Tour events are contested as stroke, or medal, play. Here's an explanation of some common terms you're likely to hear during Monday's broadcast:
Match play Competition is scored by number of holes won rather than strokes in an 18-hole round. Scores are not kept, instead keeping track of how many holes each player has won. This is the format used in the Ryder Cup and major amateur competitions.
All-square When an individual match or the entire competition is tied. In other words, Player A has won four holes and Player B has won four holes. The score is said to be all-square, not 4-4.
Up/Down Used to describe which player is leading or trailing in a match. In other words, if Player A has won four holes and Player B has won two holes, then Player A is considered 2-up, or Player B is 2-down.
Through Used in conjunction with up/down. In other words, if a player is "2-up through 10," he leads by two holes with 10 holes complete.
Dormie When one player is up by the exact number of holes that remain. The best the player who trails can do is tie. In other words, Player A is 3-up after 15 holes, meaning there are only three holes remaining.
Final scoring If a match goes 18 holes, the final score is simply all square for a tie, 1-up or 2-up. But most matches often end before 18 holes are complete. For instance, if Player A is 3-up with two holes to play, then Player B cannot catch up. Therefore the match is complete, and the final score would be 3-and-2. The first number represents the lead, while the second number signifies how many holes remained.
Halve: When both players get the same score on a hole. Or, when a complete 18-hole match ends up all-square. In team competitions, each team gets a half point for the match.
Concede Unlike tournament play, in match play a player can give his opponent a shot. This usually happens on a short putt and helps speed up play. It can also occur when one player has hit into the water or out-of-bounds and realizes he will lose the hole.
