Instead of golf as 18 holes with stroke play, imagine facing off in a six-hole, match-play format while pairing up with a teammate from the same country.
Oh, and each of the holes would have its own theme, from walk-out music to pyrotechnics and a long-drive competition to shot clocks.
Sound nuts?
Well, such an event – branded GolfSixes – took place in May on the European Tour to great fanfare, according to the tour’s CEO. If Ian Poulter had any say, something similar would be worth trying on the PGA Tour, too.
“I definitely think it’s got a place,” said Poulter, an Englishman who plays on both the PGA and European tours. “Any event that we can showcase to broaden the interest in golf is a good thing.”
The first GolfSixes event saw 16 teams compete in a two-day tournament in England.
There was music and pyrotechnics on the first hole and charitable donations for birdies on the second. A long-drive competition followed on No. 3 and a 40-second shot clock was enforced on No. 4. The fifth hole featured a closest to the pin challenge and the sixth saw on-course interviews.
The teams played in Greensomes format, meaning the best tee shot of the pair was chosen and an alternate shot was played from there.
Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen and Lucas Bjerregaard won the first event.
That’s the kind of jolt the sport could use, said the European Tour CEO Keith Pelley.
