In these days in which golf and innovation are suddenly bedfellows, one wonders what might happen next. The most fascinating aspect relating to the wearing of shorts during practice rounds, music accompanying players on the driving range or potential for fireworks on tees is the level of attention these background – and not tournament-defining – elements receive. Golf’s obsession with tradition is illustrated when these elements of show business are added and onlookers report them as somehow revelatory.
Meanwhile, pro-am formats such as the one used at Pebble Beach last weekend render what should be premium competition utterly unwatchable. Later in the year, the European Tour’s Dunhill Links Championship will follow the same tired and elongated trend. It is this format which has to change; not the introduction of Beyoncé and some rockets.
This week in Australia, a more significant concept will be put to the test. The World Super 6 in Perth might flirt with gimmickry, to the point where Mensa membership is needed to decipher the event’s concept, but it represents a valid break from normality. Likewise, the European Tour’s announcement of Golf Sixes demonstrates a firm commitment to trying new things.
Whether or not the sport needs this form of evolution to remain relevant is a cause for wider debate. Keith Pelley, the European Tour’s firebrand chief executive, appears to be on a mission to kick golf into the 21st century; not only with fresh event dynamics but also with a raft of social media and broadcasting initiatives which make the sport more appealing to the consumer.
Pelley may feel he has little to lose. If golf is sliding down the rankings of sporting prominence anyway, at least the Canadian is trying to halt the decline. The trouble is that, as a members’ organisation, what the chief executive can realistically rip up and redraw is limited. What he has to do goes beyond window dressing; which he seems to realise.
And so to the crux. In recent days, Pelley has admitted that “with the future of our game it is going to be difficult to sustain 72-hole tournaments with more than 120 players on a weekly basis.” It is this crucial area that golf as a whole, not just in Europe, should be fully focused on.
There is now little or no break to the golf season. Professionals have never had so much opportunity to play, but the humdrum nature of so many of these events worldwide mean the audience appeal is watered down. Tournaments roll into each other because, with the odd exception and majors aside, they lack distinction.
One improvement, which Pelley may discover runs counter to the wishes of his core membership, would be to slash fields for the last day of events. Even at the outset of tournaments, the appearance of more than 140 players makes for a messy narrative. Of course, golfers are entitled to compete for money and ranking points, but the challenge is to make that happen in a way that is actually worth watching.
In Abu Dhabi and Dubai in recent weeks, more than 60 players were on the course on Sunday, which detracts from the pursuit of a trophy. Personal relationships aside, nobody is bothered about players competing for 57th or 63rd place, a situation compounded when groups of three are necessary on Sunday because of weather issues, as happened in the Middle East.
The merits of, say, only 20 professionals on day four are obvious. And it should be 20, whereby ties are eliminated either by better last rounds or segments of holes, as happens in amateur events. A third cut on Saturday could trigger enhanced prizes for those who survive, would intensify audience interest, and, being blunt, properly reward those who challenge at the business end of a tournament. For major championships, where winners can appear from further down the field, the concept wouldn’t be valid but it is perfectly fair for standard tour events.
If this sounds like focusing on the elite players, that’s precisely what golf needs to do in order that wider interest is maintained. Stars should be utilised, just as becoming one should be a valuable aspiration. The depth of talent on both sides of the Atlantic actually means that the 20-player group is likely to be highly varied from week to week. Television companies, who like as close to a guarantee as possible that marquee names will survive for 72 holes, might disagree with the idea, but they have survived up until now with leading players surprisingly missing halfway cuts.
Golf is grasping around for its golden egg. It will need to be radical in that search. If Pelley is to be believed, that penny may have finally dropped.
