What these 3 key holes can teach you about match play

The 2024 Bridges Cup is about to get underway in South Korea, with elite mid-amateur golfers teeing it up at Haesley Nine Bridges.

While the U.S. team has won the first two installments of the Ryder Cup-style tournament, could the Internationals swing things in their favor this year? We’ll have to see which players step up during the most nerve-wracking moments.

Because the pressure often peaks on the most challenging holes, we tapped an expert on Haesley Nine Bridges, Simon Holmes, to explain the three most crucial holes at this year’s competition.

These course-management tips might help you playing any golf course, but if you ever happen to find yourself playing Haesley Nine Bridges, they’ll definitely come in handy.

“I just think [Haesley] is a great venue for this kind of elite match play,” Holmes says. “If you’ve got stroke play, you can kind of shelter it, because you can play the layup. But in match play, if your opponent hits a great shot, then you’ve got to stand up and match it. So if you’re not in form or aren’t ready to go, we’re going to immediately see that and you’re going to lose a point.”

The 3 most important holes at the 2024 Bridges Cup

“What’s interesting about these kind of match-play events is that it’s basically golf’s version of the 100 meters,” Holmes says, comparing it to a sprint. “The first six holes are the most important, with stats from the Ryder Cup showing that. If you’re up after six holes, you win nearly 67 percent of the time.”

Which three holes will be the most critical at this year’s Bridges Cup? Holmes lists his choices below.

No. 6 — Par-3, 205 yards

“It probably doesn’t get super juicy until hole 6,” Holmes says. “It’s kind of got a weird-shaped green, so if the pin tempts you and you miss it, you’re definitely going to make a 4. So if you’re the player shooting first and hit a great shot, man, you put your opponents under big-time pressure.”

No. 15 — Par-4, 355 yards

“No. 15 is, man, it’s just tough,” Holmes says. “It plays across a hill. I suppose you could get greedy and try to get up there [off the tee], but a lot of guys are going to leave themselves about 140 yards in [instead of risking it with the driver]. But the guy who goes for it is going to have an advantage, no doubt.”

No. 18 — Par-4, 451 yards

“On No. 18, there are so many ways to get into trouble because you can get really claustrophobic. There’s water all the way down the left side and up the hole to the green — and the entire left side of the green is just a foot from the water,” Holmes says. “I just think that, as players get nervous, we’ll see the emotion really play out because of the way the course is designed, since there’s no way to hide fear. You’re going to be exposed. If something isn’t working, we’re going to see it on this hole.”

Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor