72-hole strokeplay is still tops for me
This week’s Zurich Classic begins a run of differing formats of events on both sides of the Atlantic.
It is a 72-hole pairs tournament with alternate rounds of both foursomes and fourballs.
Following on from that, we have the Golf Sixes in St Albans, and the Belgian Knockout, which combines strokeplay and matchplay.
They may be innovative, but they will have to go some to match what we have already witnessed in 2018.
Think of some of the Sundays we have already enjoyed this year, with Paul Casey, Ian Poulter and Rory McIlroy all winning.
We’ve also seen Phil Mickelson back in the winners’ circle and Tiger Woods going close in Tampa and at Bay Hill.
They all led up to The Masters and the final day didn’t disappoint there either, as Patrick Reed held off the charge of Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth.
If anything, the dullest Sunday of the year came at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play when Bubba Watson crushed Kevin Kisner 7&6 in the Final.
Bubba was five-up after five in an 18-hole match and the outcome was as good as decided. It wasn’t great for spectators on the course, or in front of the TV.
That is the biggest problem with any kind of matchplay event. You can’t guarantee the star names in the latter stages.
This proves that 72-hole strokeplay golf remains the best format for tournament golf.
It’s the one used for all four Majors and it’s the barometer by how all the great players have been judged down the years.
Matchplay is great in the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup. But it was interesting that the likes of Fowler and Justin Rose gave the WGC event a swerve just two weeks before The Masters.
They didn’t feel it was the right preparation for the first Major of the season.
The PGA Tour are lucky with this tournament in New Orleans, because they have a blue-chip sponsor and a purse of $7m. It’s played in a great city and it’s promoted as a break from the norm.
As a result, they are not short of star names. New Masters Champion Reed, Spieth and Justin Thomas are all taking part.
And there are some interesting European pairs with Rose and Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Ian Poulter and Graeme McDowell teeing it up.
The trouble with the European events is trying to entice the big names to play at such an important stage of the season.
Next year, the US PGA Championship is moving to May, and the FedEx Cup play-offs are being brought forward to August.
Once those finish, that would leave a perfect window in the calendar for different events. The serious stuff is done, and then it’s time for a bit of fun.
We’re lucky that there are lots of ways you can play golf and still have a great game – especially at amateur and club level.
So for both main tours, it’s about striking the right balance with proper tournament golf and other innovative ways of reaching out to fans.