Strategery in Tournaments

I think the word "strategery" is a newly created word by the politicos but that's neither here nor there.  We had our fall Solheim Cup last week.  I picked two captains of whom I was sure would make the event very competitive.  It was very interesting in how one captain picked her team as opposed to the other.
 One captain, let's call her Ann, picked her team mostly based on whom she thought would play the best together as well as whether they liked each other.  This created a very homogeneous team.  Handicaps were very similar.  The other captain, let's call her Becky, didn't give a rip as to whether anyone didn't want to play with any particular person.  In each twosome she had a low handicapper and...a high handicapper. Let me tell you this caused some major consternation with the low handicappers.  I've got to play with so and so?  Her handicap is a 36!  Our format was 6 holes scramble, 6 holes match play, and six holes alternate shot.  Because of the format, there is a complicated formula used to determine the % of strokes to be taken and allocated.  The only area, of course, where full strokes were allocated was in the match play portion.  So these high handicappers had some advantage.  Can you guess which team won?  Captain Becky.  Her strategy worked beautifully.  As one of my team mates told me (I was on Ann's team), she and her similarly handicapped person would both hit great drives.  The high handicapper might hit an OK drive but then her low handicapper would nail the ball near the pin. Or in alternate shot, the low handicapper would hit a boomer which allowed the high handicapper to get on in two, and voila! Win the hole with a stroke.   During the scramble, the low handicappers basically played against each other (although some of those high handicappers can be deadly with a putter.  It may normally take them 6 to get on but they will one putt.).  The big wins from Becky's team were in the match play.  There were 4 points allocated.  1 point for each "6" win and 1 point for overall wins.  Becky's team won 19 1/2 to 12 1/2.  We got skunked.  My partner and I came down to the last hole and last putt to get 2 points.  The high handicapper drills a 5 foot putt to tie the hole and we lose overall.  Damn.  I think part of the issue is that because of our women's association, we play many events where high and low handicappers play together and they know each other pretty well.  So in this case, Becky made a very smart move.

A Woman Who Loves Golf