I tuned in on Friday night to watch The Match, a winner-takes-all match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson in a matchplay event for $9 million that finished under the floodlights in Shadow Creek, Las Vegas. The idea was that two of golf's icons would face-off in an epic challenge for the first time and draw in a crowd via pay-per-view that would help to apy for the winner's purse. To add to the spectacle, each player would be able to bet against each other with the winnings going to a charity of their choice.
Considering that the players are 10 years out of their prime, there were no real spectators, short of a 'select few' and corporate sponsors, the ppv fees were extortionate for those in the States (Sky Sports Golf got the rights late on Thursday so I was able to watch it without paying extra) and taht the Ryder Cup was demonstrably more enjoyable, this Match turned out to be nothing but a daft, self-serving and self-congratulating affair that contrived to entertain only the sponsors who showed that they are still able to make people dance when they throw money at them. In my opinion, it was a sad showing so late in such illustrious men's careers. Congratulations to Phil Mickleson for winning it at the 22nd hole.
So, if that's not the future of golf, then what is? There are no two men who have had more of an impact on the sport than Tiger and Mickleson, surely? I would agree, and there are many who took up the sport between 1998 and 2008 that would have done so because of these two. However, we're ten years on from then and the sport has moved on too.
Consider the success of the Ryder Cup, then consider its format - a matchplay even that combines team play on the first two days with singles play on the last. It's more aggressive and more fascinating as the pendulum swings one way on day one and then the other on day two. These players play for pride, not for money.
So. why not a tournament that is for money? A tournament with format similar to the Ryder Cup but with teams of golfers that are contracted to play for that team and can be traded individually, like in other sports. In the three years between Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup matches, the teams would compete in a league structure to determine the winner. In the meantime, the strokeplay majors and masters can still be competed in and the team matchplay would wrap itself around the current calendar.
It allows players to chose between being involved in both or one individually. Ten teams of twelve 'squad-members' would play three matches a year over three years which is unlikely to stretch the calendar. If more teams want to join, then you can structure a two-tier league system with relegation and promotion.
The format is tried and tested with audiences, it's not taxing on the calendar and it'll draw in crowds at a time when golf is ready to try new approaches.
