Inaugural World Super 6 hailed by Oosthuizen
There could be little doubt that the winner, Brett Rumford, would lend his approval to the European Tour’s innovative format at the World Super 6 in Perth, Australia. But the fact Louis Oosthuizen also gave the hybrid system his thumbs up surely proved it was a success.
Oosthuizen, the world No 25, was beaten in the quarter-finals by the Australian Adam Bland and eventually finished fifth. Yet despite having seen his chance of a first title of the year come to end on a 66-metre shoot-out hole, the 2010 Open champion was full of praise for the hybrid strokeplay-matchplay format.
“I think they’ve got a good concept,” Oosthuizen said. “I think a few tweaks here and there would make it really good, but it’s nerveracking standing on that little 66-metre hole. It’s nice pressure and good fun.”
Oosthuizen was lying in a tie for second after 54 holes of strokeplay, but the only advantage he had was a bye into the second round of the Sunday sixhole matchplay knockout stages. The top eight of the 24 qualifiers were allowed to sit out the first round, but it did Oosthuizen little good as Bland beat him on the third extra hole, which was contested from a special tee to the 18th green. However, Bland’s run ended when Rumford beat him by one hole. It was just left for Rumford to account for the Thai teenager Phachara Khongwatmai 2&1 in the England coach Eddie Jones paid tribute to Australia’s Dan Vickerman, who has died aged 37 in unexplained circumstances at his family home. He was a “wonderfully committed team player and a good guy,” said Jones, who coached the lock for Australia and Brumbies. Vickerman, who played 63 times for his final and the inaugural Super 6 event had its worthy winner.
“It’s amazing, particularly being a new format, the first winner of that,” Rumford said. “Golf is bigger than one person.
“If it’s going to grow the game and it’s more than just a golf tournament and it becomes an event in which we’re trying to grow this sport with a bit more thrill and excitement about it, then I think as a Tour we’ve done a great job.” country, is survived by wife Sarah and two sons. Stuart Bingham captured his first title since becoming a world champion in 2015 with a 9-8 win over Judd Trump in the Welsh Open final. The match contained few breaks of note but Bingham came through in the deciding frame to receive the inaugural Ray Reardon Trophy from the six-time world champion himself. “It’s unbelievable. I thought it wasn’t going to be my day,” said Bingham. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga yesterday beat David Goffin of Belgium 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 in the final of the World Tournament in Rotterdam.