Match play is a form of golf where the game is scored by the number of holes someone wins rather than the number of strokes it takes them to complete the course.
...the World Match Play Championship.
match play in British English
noun
golf
a.
scoring according to the number of holes won and lost
b.
(as modifier)
a matchplay tournament
Compare Stableford, stroke play
Derived forms
match player
noun
match play in American English
1.
play in a match, as in tennis, etc.
2. Golf
a form of competitive play in which the score is calculated by counting holes won rather than strokes taken