Celebrate the joy of six

A new six-hole matchplay format is about to shake up the European Tour

Whisper it, but golf is on the verge of being modernised. The rules are in the midst of being simplified; Muirfield is now accepting female members; and the European Tour is starting to debut new formats. The World Super 6 Perth whetted our appetite in February, but Golfsixes is set to rip up the traditional 72-hole strokeplay tournament with an innovative country v country pairs matchplay event in Hertfordshire in May.

What is it?

A novel form of greensomes matchplay played over six holes at Centurion Club. The inaugural tournament is being staged over the first weekend in May and will comprise 16 teams from Australia, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, India, Italy, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Holland, the USA and Wales. Each nation will be represented by two of its top-ranked European Tour members.

How the format will work

The first day’s play on May 6 will see the teams split into four groups of four – similar to the UEFA Champions League – and compete in a round-robin format. Three points will be awarded for a victory and one point for a draw. The top-two teams from each group will then progress to the knockout stages, with the quarterfinals, semi-finals, third-place playoff and final being contested on May 7. In the event of a tie after six holes, the winner will be determined by a sudden-death play-off on a shortened version of the 18th.

Is this really a Tour event?

Yes! And there’s a €1 million prize fund up for grabs, with the winning team walking off with €100,000 each. European Tour chief Keith Pelley says the occasion will be “unlike anything else you have experienced on a golf course before”. Players will be mic’d up during their matches and there will even be caddie cams, on-course interviews, music and even fireworks on the first tee in a bid to draw in a new audience.

Who’s in the field?

English duo Chris Wood and Andy Sullivan reprise their World Cup of Golf partnership, while former Ryder Cup stars Jamie Donaldson and Nicolas Colsaerts will also be in attendance. Other big names include Thorbjorn Olesen, Thongchai Jaidee, Alexander Levy, Matteo Manassero, Joost Luiten, Pablo Larrazabal and Scottish pair Richie Ramsay and Marc Warren*. A day ticket starts from £16; under 10s go free. Visit www.golfsixes.com