When Sam Burns defeated Cam Young to win the championship match of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin on Sunday it stood as likely the last time we’ll see that format on the PGA Tour.
Tournament director Jordan Uppleger announced the event would not be returning in 2024 or beyond.
It’s an absolute shame, too. Because the pool-play-to-playoff format is rare among pro golf events. Every major tournament you can think of challenges a player against themselves at a specific course rather than using the knockout format.
With the end of the annual stop at Austin Country Club, golf is missing out on one of its most unique weekends, though PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan left the door open for a return to match play.
“I think for right now, for next season’s schedule, it didn’t work,” Monahan said. “But match play has been a staple out here. It’s been a staple on the DP World Tour. I think that will certainly be a consideration as we go forward.”
Which got many fans and analysts thinking about the right way to reincorporate the bracket format onto the Tour calendar. The answer became almost too obvious: the Tour Championship.
It’s an absolutely brilliant idea and one the PGA should immediately consider.
The current Tour Championship setup rewards the best players by giving them a head start on the scorecard. The player who earns the most FedEx Cup points during the season starts at 10-under par, second-most points starts at 8-under, the third at −7, etc.
What if, instead, the top players in the FedEx Cup standings were seeded like a playoff bracket and went head-to-head to crown a champion?
Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine explained how it could work:
Let’s get rid of the polarizing staggered start, expand the field at East Lake by two players to the top 32 in the FedExCup following the BMW Championship, and have the Tour’s best go head-to-head, mano a mano, for the $18 million first-place prize.
The Final Fore? It could be electric.
Sure, critics will argue that match play, for all its fickleness, shouldn’t decide a season-long champion – or perhaps more importantly, a $75 million event. But is giving the points leader a head start, including 10 shots on the last players in the field, much better? There’s a reason some people playfully call the playoff finale the “PGA Tour’s Net Championship” and joke about the “shadow leaderboard,” referring to the gross scores recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking.
Again, brilliant!
Think of how much easier it is to explain to casual fans tuning in how match play works rather than going on about why some players are 10-under par through two holes.
Think of the upsets. Think of the live betting opportunities. Think of golf’s own spin on March Madness. It’s hard not to get excited about it. And plenty of golf fans are already on board.
*wakes up wife at 2:38 AM*
"What if they did match play for just the last day of the tour championship? Do the handicap thing, and only the top 4 after Saturday make it to match play. The rest of the field keeps playing stroke play for 5th thru 30th. Who says no?"
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) March 27, 2023
A match-play Tour Championship would be electric
— Andrew Key (@andrewtkey) March 27, 2023
How about changing the Tour Championship to Match Play? Eliminate the handicapped scoring. Top 32 in points make the field. 18 holes Thu-Sat matches and 36 on Sunday for the final four. @PGATOUR https://t.co/BstGRYdzNz
— Adam Hutson (@TheRealGilbert_) March 27, 2023
The Tour Championship should start with everyone at even par / should be considered for a Match Play event https://t.co/HCbuzINae6
— Jerrad Andrew Duncan (@jerrad_duncan) March 27, 2023
Tour Championship Match Play (not a novel idea…)
My twist:
Top 32 get in.Seeds 1-16 get to pick their first round opponent from the players in the 17-32 pool.
Would create, or stir up, some animosity.
— Sean Melia (@SeanMeliaGolf) March 26, 2023
With March Madness here—and WGC-Match Play done—reheating take that Tour Championship should be match play at Bandon. First 3 days stroke play at Trails, Old Mac, Pac. Top 8 move to matches with quarters/semis at Sheep Ranch, final at Bandon Dunes. Playoffs goes to Preserve
— Joel Beall (@JoelMBeall) March 16, 2023
