Birdie battle in the DGL: The North strikes back and wins 500:499

The second match day of the German Golf League (DGL) presented by All4Golf could hardly have been more exciting. In the 1st Bundesliga, 999 birdies were made. This time the battle goes to the North by a wafer-thin margin, winning 500:499 and thus taking revenge for the narrow defeat in round one.

The North strikes back: After the 1st Bundesliga South (women and men) had narrowly won the Birdie Battle on the first match day of the German Golf League presented by All4Golf with 433:430 (see: https://t1p.de/3723b), the North teams were ahead in this category in DGL round two. Albeit by the narrowest of margins, as the ten teams in the North's double match day in Hanover made a total of 500 Birdies. That is exactly one Birdie more than the South had on the card in Frankfurt. This made a total of 999 Birdies in League One. In plain language: the target is 1000.

Birdie Battle in the German Golf League

How is it scored? All Birdies played in the 1st Bundesliga on Saturday (singles and foursomes) and on Sunday (singles only) are added up. The scratch results are also included, which makes sense, because: As the example of the men's teams from Munich and Frankfurt with the same number of strokes proves, a scratch result can even decide the matchday victory in the end. In other words, all Birdies played on a weekend in the 1st Bundesliga. And the detailed overview on match day 2 looks like this:

- Birdies North Singles: 401
- Birdies North Foursomes: 99
Total: 500
- Birdies South Singles: 400
- Birdies South Foursome: 99
Total: 499

Where does the term "Birdie" come from?

But why is a birdie actually called a birdie? There are several theories for this, of which this is probably the most conclusive: "Birdie" is originally an American slang term from the early 20th century and means something like "excellent" or "outstanding". The very first use of the term is said to have been at the Atlantic City Country Club in 1903. On the tee of fairway twelve, where the brothers A.B. and William P. Smith and their playing partner George A. Crump described an exceptionally good shot as a "bird of a shot", there is now a memorial stone that refers to its origin. At least that's how Wikipedia explains it and the USGA's explanation also goes in exactly the same direction.

(Text: Thomas Kirmaier / DGV)