Hearing an announcer yell Dormie! during a tense golf match can be confusing if you're not familiar with the term. In short, dormie is a situation in match play where one player or team has a lead equal to the number of holes remaining. This article will define dormie with clear examples and give you the strategies you need to handle it, whether you're the one leading or the one trying to make a comeback.
First, it's important to remember that "dormie" only exists in match play. Unlike stroke play, where your total number of shots for the round determines your score, match play is a hole-by-hole competition. You win, lose, or tie (halve) each hole, and the person who wins the most holes wins the match.
The term dormie comes into play when a player has an unbeatable lead. Specifically, a player is dormie when their lead in holes is equal to the number of holes left to play.
Let's break it down:
The name is thought to come from the French word dormir, which means "to sleep." The thinking is that the player in the lead can now 'sleep' on their lead and relax because they are guaranteed at least a tie in the match. They cannot lose. Their opponent would have to win every single remaining hole just to tie the match and force extra holes (if the competition rules allow for it). If the leading player wins or ties just one more hole, the match is over.
Sometimes the best way to understand a golf term is to walk through it on the course. Let's imagine you're in a heated match against your regular playing partner.
You and your friend are all square through 14 holes. You hit a great approach shot on the 15th and win the hole. You are now 1 up.
On the 16th hole, your friend finds some trouble, and you win again. Now you are 2 up with two holes to play (the 17th and 18th).
As you walk to the 17th tee, you are officially dormie. Your friend cannot beat you. The absolute best they can do is tie you by winning both the 17th and 18th holes. The pressure is completely on them, while you have a comfortable cushion.
Continuing from above, you are dormie (2 up with 2 to play) on the 17th hole.
You both hit solid tee shots. You find the center of the green with your approach, and your friend hits it in the greenside bunker. After they fail to get up-and-down for par, you have two putts to win the hole. You lag your first putt close, and your friend concedes. You tie the hole (halve), but because you were dormie, that's enough to end the game.
The final score would be recorded as "2 and 1." This means you were 2 up with only 1 hole remaining. You didn't even need to play the 18th hole.
Let's rewind. You are dormie on the 17th tee, 2 up with 2 to play. But this time, your friend hits the shot of their life and makes a birdie to win the 17th hole.
The tables have turned slightly. You are now 1 up, and you step up to the 18th and final hole. You are still dormie! Your friend must win the final hole to tie the match, while you only need to tie it to win.
If they win the 18th, the match ends in a tie (or is "all square"). If you win or tie the 18th, you win the match 1 up.
Understanding the definition is one thing, knowing how to play when you're in a dormie situation is another. Your strategy should change drastically depending on whether you're the leader or the one fighting back from the brink.
It can be tempting to ease off the gas, but complacency is your biggest enemy here. You've worked hard to build this lead, and now it's about closing the door professionally. The goal isn't to make hero shots, it's to eliminate mistakes.
This is where the real fun begins. You're cornered, and everyone expects you to lose. The pressure is off! You have a "license to be aggressive" because a safe play won't get the job done. You must win, nothing less will do.
You'll hear "dormie" most often during big match play events like the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. These high-stakes events have given us some of golf history's most iconic dramatic finishes.
One of the greatest signs of sportsmanship came from a dormie situation. In the 1969 Ryder Cup, Jack Nicklaus faced Tony Jacklin in the deciding match. Nicklaus led 1 up standing on the 17th (dormie), but Jacklin eagled the hole to make the match all square going into the 18th. After both players had birdie putts, Jacklin missed his from 20 feet, and Nicklaus made his from 4 feet, leaving his a 2-foot putt to win for Jacklin.
Instead of making him putt it under the intense pressure, Nicklaus famously picked up Jacklin's marker and conceded the putt. The match was a tie, and the overall Ryder Cup ended in a tie for the first time. Nicklaus later said, "I don't think you would have missed that putt, but in these circumstances, I would never give you the opportunity." It was a moment that embodied the spirit of the game, rooted in the final hole of a dormie comeback.
Dormie is a fundamental match play term that signifies one player has an unbeatable lead, though they haven't officially won yet. Understanding this concept and the strategies that come with it can help you stay mentally tough in your own matches, whether you're closing one out or fighting to stay in the game.
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