Match play in golf is an exciting head-to-head competition that focuses on reaching end goals by assessing the competitor's situation at each hole. In business, match play becomes an all-out strategy to beat the competition with acumen, flexibility and adaptability.
By Vincent Pane

Patrick Reed won his first Masters championship in April, and it was a particularly interesting win for the golfer. Reed is known mostly for match play golf game performances in which a golfer plays head-to-head against an opponent, and each hole is a win, loss or draw. Most golfers use a stroke play scoring system in which the total number of strokes is counted against a field of competitors. The type of scoring chosen determines the strategies employed to win.

Match play requires competing one-on-one, anticipating the opponent's strategy at each hole, and responding accordingly. This is not any different than the situation a business faces when a competitor has decid...