Match Play Could Use A Facelift

AUSTIN, TEXAS | Could the format of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play event change?

Perhaps.

Should it change?

Yes.

There have been discussions among the PGA Tour, its players and the title sponsor about tweaking the format but it’s uncertain if the tournament will abandon the round-robin pod system that has been in place since 2015.

Ideally, the 64-player field would play a pure single-elimination tournament the way it was for many years. The current format is underwhelming, at least at the outset. Under the old format, Wednesday, with 32 win-or-go-home matches, was one of the most compelling days of the season.

“Wearing my player’s hat, I would love to see straight knockout again,” said Paul Casey, a member of the PGA Tour’s Player Advisory Council, which was recently asked to consider an alternate format.

“Lose and go home. But I understand it from trying to sell this from a corporate sponsor's point of view, from an entertainment point of view, you want as much golf as possible on the weekend.”

The way t...