The European Tour is having a hold-over of sorts this week, beautiful Aphrodite Hills on the island of Cyprus is once again the setting for this week’s Cyprus Shootout.
This is a new format the European Tour is trying out and it’s a hybrid of match play — sort of.
Here’s how it works.
It’s a medal play tournament but after the first 36 holes on Thursday and Friday, the field is trimmed to the low 32 players and ties, everyone else leaves. The scores are then reset, totally, as they start the Saturday third round from scratch.
After Saturday’s round, the low 16 players and ties will make it to the final 18 on Sunday. Again, scores start from zero with the winner determined by that player who shoots the lowest score on Sunday.
The elimination part resembles match play but keeps the hottest players in the field.
Who’s the favorite? Last week it was England’s Callum Shinkwin getting his first European Tour victory in a playoff win over Finland’s Kalle Samooja. It only took one trip back down the par five 18th to settle it as Shinkwin made birdie.
The three players who tied for third obviously had a feel for the course. It was Jamie Donaldson from Wales, South African Garrick Higgo and young Scot Robert MacIntyre, all finishing at 18-under par.
Another player from Finland was near the top for all four days last week — Sami Valimaki. He finished 17-under along with Jason Scrivener and Dale Whitnell.
One player who might be heard from who was not in last week’s field is Rasmus Hojgaard, the 19-year-old superstar-in-the-making from Denmark who already has two European Tour victories to his credit.
With its appearance in Greece, the European Tour has now past a milestone — it has held events in 50 countries.
Champions Tour Won Award Schwab Cup This Week:
The Champions tour heads to Phoenix Country Club for the Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Thursday and perhaps they should have made a temporary change to the name of the tournament.
The Schwab Cup WILL NOT be awarded this week as the PGA Tour has taken the over-50 set into 2021, much the way it has with the Korn Ferry Tour.
Instead of the usual limited-field event for this week, it will be a full-field event and it’s a good one. Fred Couples will play for the first time in two months and Jim Furyk will try and get his third senior win of the season.
Seven players in this week’s field will leave Phoenix and head to Augusta for The Masters — former champions Couples, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle, Larry Mize, Jose Maria Olazabal, Vijay Singh and Mike Weir.
Phil Mickelson, who owns courses in Arizona, opted to take his pre-Masters prep at this week’s regular Tour stop at the Houston Open.
Langer is the current leader in the Schwab Cup points race followed by Ernie Els, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Scott Parel and Jerry Kelly.
8 Comments
baxter cepeda
Is it me or is this format nonsense ?
Who gets to tee off last? I guess the best Saturday scores?
I like the 36 hole stroke to set up something over the weekend, but I don’t know about this.
Why not give some byes for the top stroke play guys then match. As I’ve mentioned before the key to match play events is having up to 7 consolation matches to go with the championship match Sunday; so the top 16 players are still playing.
I don’t hate this format but someone needs to try what I’m describing.
Most stroke play events end with 95% of guys playing for position, points, whatever, but with no chance to win. And it’s ok. So why can’t match play events do the same ?
Tom Edrington
You still have just two guys in match play and too much dead air time, players HATE consolation matches….I know I would.
baxter cepeda
I hear that but dont believe it.
Pga tour players just aren’t used to it.
Again most guys play up to 3 pga tour rounds with no chance to win. A 5th place match Is a lot more exciting to watch than guys battling for 5th is a stroke event.
There would not be dead air time with multiple matches worth valuable points and money going on.
There is the chance for players to climb up the board more in stroke play events but usually the top 2 or 3 win. Everyone else is just free wheeling in obscurity.
Match play puts the spot light on everyone.
I think these euro guys would definety enjoy what I describe. The pga tour guys are a bit spoiled with the mundane routine. But even they can get used to it.
Golf needs more match play. Stroke events can get boring, especially on boring courses.
Tom Edrington
You may say Golf needs more match play but the PGA Tour listens to its sponsors and they and their big $$$$ tell the Tour that golf does not need more match play, in other words, money talks and it’s saying: NO, to match play.
baxter cepeda
Yes I understand that Tom. But it’s because they are not being creative enough.
In a post tiger world match play will work better for the ratings people. There’s just been this obsessive need to have tiger involved the last 2 decades or so.
No one else changes ratings other than tiger, maybe Phil a little.
Tiger is also the reason the PGA Tour has more no cut events now;
eliminating any Chance Tiger wont be there somewhere Sunday.
But I know you know all this.
I’m just saying Sometimes I feel regardless of format they should pay tiger (and Phil) —after missing the cut or whatever —to play 18 ahead of the real competition … just to satisfy ratings.
But this isn’t going to be a problem for match play forever.
I stress again the key to match play is with 16 competitors playing Sunday and 8 little competitions going on it could be very exciting.
It’s important the difference between winning and losing any of the final 8 matches has significance; from more cash and points, to rewards, byes for next year, qualifying for other events, whatever. Each match should mean something.
Many times you don’t even need any of that.
For example if DJ and Brooks end up in a 16th place match, your telling me that won’t help ratings?
Of course it would. And There’s a million little matchups that would be super intriguing.
The o my problem I see is If Tiger can’t get in the top 16.
Tom Edrington
Baxter: It’s getting about that time to bid adios to Phil, just watched him play a few holes in Houston and he totally sucked! As for Tiger, let’s see what he can come up with on the course where only Jack Nicklaus is more decorated than El Tigre……and, by the way, I think we’ve seen Tiger and Phil paired together in a regular event for the last time….
baxter cepeda
I’ve heard this said elsewhere also…but Tiger and Phil never ever playing again together makes no sense.
Imo Not only will they play together, they may even be in contention while in the same group. They will definitely be paired starting events and certainly in those many groups not in contention week in and week out in stroke play events; As happened at Sherwood.
Phil and tiger are not sharp but since on their full blown Augusta preparation tours; it’s hard to really know. They both look terrible but they both should be grades Friday at Augusta.
Winning is important. But if they show up at Augusta and stink, I hope both of them end this practice of playing pga tour events the wrong way to supposedly get ready for Augusta.
As their appearances get lower I just wish they both Simply try their best to win every event they play. I also think that’s how they can best prepare to beat all the great guys on tour today. It’s not circa 2k anymore. These 2 gotta take their competition more serious if they plan to keep winning.
Tom Edrington
The more I see of Phil, the more I’m convinced he’s not that far from becoming a Champions Tour player for the most part; As for Tiger, he simply can’t play enough any more to expect him to be but a mirage of what he used to be; Tiger will have his moments but four rounds become one and eventually just glimpses of greatness; Sorry, but I believe both, especially Phil, are fading into the sunset of their regular tour careers…