Stroke Play

The most common tournament format in professional and amateur golf where players compete based on their total number of strokes over one or more rounds, with the lowest total score determining the winner. Stroke play rewards consistency and sustained excellence over the entire competition period, unlike match play which focuses on individual hole victories. This format allows for precise scoring comparisons and statistical analysis, making it ideal for large field tournaments and official handicap calculations. Stroke play requires mental toughness to recover from poor holes while maintaining focus on the cumulative score rather than individual hole outcomes.