Should we applaud the World Super 6 tournament or look away in disgust?

[rabbit111]

This looks like it could be fun!! Good on the European tour for trying something different.

 

http://www.golfwa.or...ise-world-golf/

[ilovenewtech]

Following the European Tour announcement that a new tournament format will be played in the 2017 World Super 6 event.

 

Basically what happens is everyone plays, normal cut, then after day 3 the top 24 are separated. The final day has 6 hole matches until a winner is declared. Not quite sure how that works, ie do they play in 3 balls and one winner goes through? is it head to head?

 

Matches are decided with a short par 3 extra hole and if that is still tied then play it again and it is nearest the pin?

 

Here is the article: http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=2016/tournamentid=2016014/news/newsid=308526.html

 

 

So what do we think? I think this is a great step and something that could really catch on, it will no doubt have some serious kinks to work out but great to see a tour trying something different.

[wcbjr]

More golf is good golf.

[UCBananaboy]

I will never fault someone for trying to add some variety to golf and its formats. 72-holes of stroke play may be golf in its purist form, but it can get quite monotonous.

 

I absolutely loved the change in the WGC Match Play, mimicking the World Cup pool play, so kudos to the European Tour for changing things up. I hope it's successful!

[Dave230]

Should be interesting to watch anyway. There are a million different formats you can play golf, which is why it's frustrating that almost every event is 72-hole strokeplay.

 

Off main season, so October to January on the PGA Tour and February to April on the European Tour roughly should try out lots of interesting formats in my opinion.

[Vindog]

I agree, we should applaud any type of innovation. This is entertainment after all.

[Langlands]

Sounds a bit gimmicky to me, but no harm in trying it to see how it works out. Just hope there is a decent field.

[BenHoganSlam1953]

Repetition is boring and the current 72 hole format, week after week, is the pinnacle of repetition - this looks interesting.

Heck, have a regular cut-off and then on the last day do match play - anything to change it up!

 

Edit - here is a new format idea - no commentators on the final day - just the sound of golf and the crowds - this would be radical over the current non-stop bantering while players are making shots.

[donX]

Yes sounds great! I live in Perth and will go to watch if I can for sure.

[Francois]

Yes sounds great! I live in Perth and will go to watch if I can for sure.

 

Commiserations.

 

:taunt:

[klebs01]

I plan on watching. Sounds exciting.

[rorygilmore9]

The NFL, NBA, and MLB is professional athletes in that sport. They play their respective regulation games all regular season and in the playoffs. While I agree the WGC Match Play event is a fun weekend for something different, why is everyone so "bored" of the repetition of how professional golfers participate in the events during their season??

 

You don't see the NBA deciding games on HORSE, or a quick game of 21... NFL games are never decided by taking a few players from each team and hosting a punt, pass, and kick competition...

 

Just funny that everyone is complaining about how boring golf is IMO

[widow-maker]

I'm a little skeptical about closest to the pin deciding a match. Other than that, no harm in trying something different. I guess in that format, they can't have a 6 hole match going too many extra holes when they're tied.

[MattyO1984]

Innovation is good the problem is will enough big names support it to make it worthwhile?! I can't see it.

[knock it close]

I like it, a little weird an quirky but hey if its a new event might as well try to make it more exciting than 72 hole stroke. Looking at you Olympic golf committee

[Bingo1976]

I will never fault someone for trying to add some variety to golf and its formats. 72-holes of stroke play may be golf in its purist form, but it can get quite monotonous.

 

I absolutely loved the change in the WGC Match Play, mimicking the World Cup pool play, so kudos to the European Tour for changing things up. I hope it's successful!

 

Match play is the purest (and original) form of Golf.

[TheGeekGolfer]

The NFL, NBA, and MLB is professional athletes in that sport. They play their respective regulation games all regular season and in the playoffs. While I agree the WGC Match Play event is a fun weekend for something different, why is everyone so "bored" of the repetition of how professional golfers participate in the events during their season??

 

You don't see the NBA deciding games on HORSE, or a quick game of 21... NFL games are never decided by taking a few players from each team and hosting a punt, pass, and kick competition...

 

Just funny that everyone is complaining about how boring golf is IMO

I've thought this before and I've come to this conclusion. Other sports have games over a season that decides the overall rankings. You can choose what teams / players you like and follow those. The games are shorter and more defined, so you can 'get excited' for a matchup. Each golf tournament is longer and you have to watch all of it if you want to see who is taking the lead, making a move, follow your favorite player(s), etc. Plus, each one tries to be almost a major. You have the 4 majors, the 5th major (Players), the WGC events, Jack, Arnie, etc. Then they add the FedEx cup, so those are supposed to be 'big tournaments'.

 

Tennis has the same format, but they don't have all the muddled (from what I follow) 'big tournaments'. You can get excited for the majors. Plus, you can pick your favorite players and follow them and tune into the quarters / semis / finals if you can't watch it all.

 

I wish there was an option (heck, PGA Tour, pay option even) where you would get a condensed 2-hour version on Thurs / Fri that only showed your 'favorites' and the 'leaders'. You could even pick your parameters. Then watch the final 2 days for the exciting conclusion.

 

So, yeah, the same 72 hole tournament gets 'boring', because it's a lot of golf to get to a champion and they try to hype each one up into almost a major.

 

You could imagine a different format, players put into 'divisions', competing in regional 2-day tournaments with the winners and top players moving on, receiving points. Mini FedEx divisions? Shorter 'seasons'. The NFL is 17 action packed weekends then the playoffs / superbowl. Each week means a lot, since there are only 16 games. The only play for 1/3 of the year, that's their 'season'. It's exciting, you can get 'into' it and get excited about it. Baseball s*cks (my opinion) because it just goes on forever, so games mean very little. NBA is a little too long, too. Plus the playoffs are drawn out 7 game series, for TV ratings. There's a reason the NFL is currently the most successful professional sport, it's exciting, you have teams to root for, there are rivalries, you have a pretty short / manageable season, and there is a defined conclusion.

 

Try to do the something even remotely similar in golf is hard, given the history.

[knock it close]

The NFL, NBA, and MLB is professional athletes in that sport. They play their respective regulation games all regular season and in the playoffs. While I agree the WGC Match Play event is a fun weekend for something different, why is everyone so "bored" of the repetition of how professional golfers participate in the events during their season??

 

You don't see the NBA deciding games on HORSE, or a quick game of 21... NFL games are never decided by taking a few players from each team and hosting a punt, pass, and kick competition...

 

Just funny that everyone is complaining about how boring golf is IMO

I've thought this before and I've come to this conclusion. Other sports have games over a season that decides the overall rankings. You can choose what teams / players you like and follow those. The games are shorter and more defined, so you can 'get excited' for a matchup. Each golf tournament is longer and you have to watch all of it if you want to see who is taking the lead, making a move, follow your favorite player(s), etc. Plus, each one tries to be almost a major. You have the 4 majors, the 5th major (Players), the WGC events, Jack, Arnie, etc. Then they add the FedEx cup, so those are supposed to be 'big tournaments'.

 

Tennis has the same format, but they don't have all the muddled (from what I follow) 'big tournaments'. You can get excited for the majors. Plus, you can pick your favorite players and follow them and tune into the quarters / semis / finals if you can't watch it all.

 

I wish there was an option (heck, PGA Tour, pay option even) where you would get a condensed 2-hour version on Thurs / Fri that only showed your 'favorites' and the 'leaders'. You could even pick your parameters. Then watch the final 2 days for the exciting conclusion.

 

So, yeah, the same 72 hole tournament gets 'boring', because it's a lot of golf to get to a champion and they try to hype each one up into almost a major.

 

You could imagine a different format, players put into 'divisions', competing in regional 2-day tournaments with the winners and top players moving on, receiving points. Mini FedEx divisions? Shorter 'seasons'. The NFL is 17 action packed weekends then the playoffs / superbowl. Each week means a lot, since there are only 16 games. The only play for 1/3 of the year, that's their 'season'. It's exciting, you can get 'into' it and get excited about it. Baseball s*cks (my opinion) because it just goes on forever, so games mean very little. NBA is a little too long, too. Plus the playoffs are drawn out 7 game series, for TV ratings. There's a reason the NFL is currently the most successful professional sport, it's exciting, you have teams to root for, there are rivalries, you have a pretty short / manageable season, and there is a defined conclusion.

 

Try to do the something even remotely similar in golf is hard, given the history.

Tennis its really only the majors that are best of 5, the rest are best of 3. NHL regular season overtime is 3 on 3 then shootout, playoffs is continuous.

[PGArox]

Yawn.

[upanddown52]

Hmmm. Currently, PGATour event sponsor money is based on 4 days of TV golf.

 

Thursday is curiousity day; who is playing and who is playing well. Then Friday is cut day, a little more drama for the handful on the cut line. Nothing that will peg the TV ratings, but maybe something for the booth to talk about for the hardcore fan.

 

The cost of event production is typically offset by ticket sales and except for majors, that sell tickets years in advance, you have a smattering of spectators on days 1 and 2.

 

If you had meaningful play on Thursday, ie matchplay or a cut, and meaningful play on Friday, same...wouldn't that make for an easier sell to your sponsors?

 

From what we are sold/told each week, there seems to be only a handful of players that are worthy of our attention and have a chance to win or should give us reason to watch. Golf Channel or any co-op network would hugely benefit by meaningful play on Thursday and Friday. I think it would be good for the game from that perspective.

 

However, as a lifelong baseball fan with a respect for stats and history, I see the downside of any change to format and the impact that change would almost certainly bring with it. I still haven't gotten over the designated hitter rule. :dntknw:

[Hawkeye77]

No windmill?

 

Count me underwhelmed.

[BJM]

I look forward to seeing how this format goes. I am positive on the announcement. I hope that the feedback, positive & negative, is considered and used to refine the format further to give the idea a chance.

[cinnepa]

I'd be all for 3 day tournaments....play fri/sat...then make a cut for sundays final round.

[84425]

On one hand I don't care. This relates to professional golf tournaments. Can hardly think of anything more boring than watching golf on tv, so I don't watch golf on tv as it is, and this format is not going to change that.

 

On the other hand changes like these make me cynical: the only reasoning behind this format is $$$$. Money for the organisers of the events and the players participating in them. Nothing else. If you are not organising a Major, your tournament will have a hard time standing out as the format (72 holes over 4 days) is the same everywhere and they play big tournaments every week in the US, Europe and some in Asia, Australia and Japan. By standing out as an event you will be able to get more/better sponsors > bigger pricemoney . better players > better sponsors > more pricemoney > better players > etc. (until someone else comes up with an even more exciting format).

 

I can't think of any other reason behind this. In cricket at least they wanted to make the sport itself more attractive by introducing Twenty20. Now you could play an entire match on one day instead of five day matches. But I don't really see how that would work in golf (and i do realise that 18 holes has only been the standard for the past 100-150 years, so you could argue that 18 holes does not define the game). Not with this variation at least. Of course with only 6 holes players would take a bit more risk, but i doubt the result will be much different (it is not like there is much room for extra risk as it is, they allready play driver+wedge on most holes as it is).

[iBanesto]

Interesting idea but I think it may lead to some conservative play from players whom are comfortably in the top 24.

 

If you're playing well, you shouldn't really care about your "seeding" in the matchplay.

[KillerPenguin]

Hmmm. Currently, PGATour event sponsor money is based on 4 days of TV golf.

 

Thursday is curiousity day; who is playing and who is playing well. Then Friday is cut day, a little more drama for the handful on the cut line. Nothing that will peg the TV ratings, but maybe something for the booth to talk about for the hardcore fan.

 

The cost of event production is typically offset by ticket sales and except for majors, that sell tickets years in advance, you have a smattering of spectators on days 1 and 2.

 

If you had meaningful play on Thursday, ie matchplay or a cut, and meaningful play on Friday, same...wouldn't that make for an easier sell to your sponsors?

 

From what we are sold/told each week, there seems to be only a handful of players that are worthy of our attention and have a chance to win or should give us reason to watch. Golf Channel or any co-op network would hugely benefit by meaningful play on Thursday and Friday. I think it would be good for the game from that perspective.

 

However, as a lifelong baseball fan with a respect for stats and history, I see the downside of any change to format and the impact that change would almost certainly bring with it. I still haven't gotten over the designated hitter rule. :dntknw:

52, I think the problem is and always will be that golf is played during daylight and a large proportion of your Saturday/Sunday audience is at work on Thursday and Friday, so regardless of how compelling you make the golf, the eyeballs still aren't going to be there. Sure, you might get more DVR watchers, but sponsors aren't going to shell out more money just to have their commercials fast-forwarded through - and from what I've read on the TV industry, watchers are much less likely to record sports than other types of TV. There's a reason it's called Monday Night Football and not Monday Day Football.

[donX]

Yes sounds great! I live in Perth and will go to watch if I can for sure.

 

Commiserations.

 

:taunt:

 

A bit far away from the rest of the world, but who knows, may start a new trend right here.

[youngwaldo]

They should play at a course that is lighted. How great would that be.. I can see it: Welcome to MONDAY NiGHT GOLF.

 

Wk

[c7015]

sounds a bit like the member guest at my cottage club but its not like it's replacing traditional stroke play on tour so why not ... I'd watch if it came on TV ...

[Santiago Golf]

I would like to see PGA Tour and Euro Tour move to 3 day tournaments in the following formats.

 

Friday: 36 holes, then Cut the field to the top 70

Saturday: 18 holes, then Cut the field to the top 30-40

Sunday: 18 holes, then take the top 3 and ties for a 3-5 hole shootout. Scores reset and lowest score wins

 

I think it be more compelling.