A concession cannot be declined or withdrawn. It's an eagle no matter how you slice it.
The whole "post strokeplay score for handicap" thing for a matchplay round is stupid to say the least. Decision 33-1/6 prohibits a player competing in both forms of play at the same time. However, the USGA handicap system says it's an allowable round for index calculation. How can such things be resolved cleanly?
I say it's a three for posting purposes but clearly some of those folks in Far Hills are bent in the head. It shouldn't be allowed. There's no way you can come up with a good approximation of a strokeplay score while playing matchplay.
The whole USGA thing is the problem. The decision on handicaps reads that after a concession I should post the score that I would most likely make if the hole had not been conceded. The problem I have is that I compete off my handicap, so I really want to have an accurate number. So what do I do when you concede me a 8 footer on #2, a 7 footer on #11, and an 8 footer on #14? As independent events, I'm most likely miss more eight foot putts than I make. And independently, I will miss more seven footers than I make. However, collectively, more often than not, I will make at least one of those three putts during a typical round. In fact, I'd bet on making at least one of three from those distances in a round. Since I "have" to post the score, does the Far Hills gang really think I'm going to accept the concession of that 7 footer for bogey but score it as a double because, in my estimation, I only make 40% of my putts from that range? On the other hand, I'm not going to give myself all those putts either since that could have me posting scores that are too low for my ability.
So, my solution is to just play out conceded holes in some cases. Now, normally, I would never putt out a conceded two footer. Frankly, I'd probably pick up most anything inside 3-4 feet if it was given to me. And had I gone to knock in this particular two footer, but it was for a conceded bogey, and I missed it...I'd post the bogey, call it a bogey, and probably forget the whole thing by the next tee. When I say I play out conceded holes, I mean that I play out most balls that are in that makable but missable range.
For the last day I've been kicking myself for not making the putt. To make matters worse, the approach was possibly the best shot of my life. Downhill lie, 200 yards, to one of the most elevated and intimidating greens I've ever played, with a flag cut maybe ten paces from the edge of a slope that would reject any shot that was short. Short of going in, it was a perfect shot, and with a 4 iron which isn't exactly my go-to club. Then, the putt...
At the time I wrote four on the card, and without thinking about the concession rule, I even posted my score as if I had made birdie (sandbagging). Now I'm realizing that I should have called it a 3, even though it felt like a 4. I've concluded that Cliff is right; the hole was won, it's a three on the card, and I'm an *bunghole*, both for missing the putt, AND, for not picking up a two footer that was given to me.
Still, the whole thing is cheesy. I guess I'll add it to my short list of career eagles, but this one feels like it has an * next to it.
