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WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship could be in line for venue change

Published

12 years ago

on

There’s no denying the importance of match play to the game of golf’s rich history. Golfers of every level, from amateur to professional, have played a match against another golfer and have a tale to tell. That’s one reason the World Golf Championships created its match play event in 1999.

Despite the popularity of the match-play format, is it possible that it no longer works for the world’s best players as a stand-alone event?

The biggest sign that an event like the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship may no longer be viable is the situation with the tournament’s sponsor. As the event’s only sponsor since its inception, Accenture — a global financial management company — has finally pulled the plug. That means, should the event continue, big changes are on the way that could include a new venue and dates.

As the only match play event on the PGA Tour schedule, you would assume that players and fans would flock to it. That hasn’t been the case, as television audiences have declined and many of the world’s top players have opted to skip the event.

This week, three of the top 64 players to qualify will be absent: Tiger Woods, Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson.

With only 64 players in the field and a $9 million purse, the WGC Accenture Match Play is a guaranteed paycheck for the professionals who qualify to play. So what would make three of the world’s best skip? For some, it’s scheduling as the event bridges the West Coast and Florida tour swings. For others, it’s simply the venue.

Last year’s Masters champion and world No. 2 Scott is not returning to the match play simply because he doesn’t enjoy playing at Dove Mountain. He said, however, that he would “absolutely” consider a return if the event found a new venue. Before moving to Dove Mountain in 2009, Carlsbad, California’s La Costa Resort hosted the event.

Recent speculation has the event moving to San Francisco’s Harding Park Golf Club, host of the 2009 President’s Cup. It’s a course Tour players rank high on their wish list of tournament venues; it’s also a layout with dramatic finishing holes for matches coming down to the wire.

For now, Tour and WGC officials have been quiet on the future of the event. However, it’s clear that they’ll need to do something to keep golfers like Woods and Mickelson engaged and interested in playing. In the end, that alone could draw more viewers to their television over the course of the five-day event.

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Kris is an avid golfer who's been traveling and writing about golf since 2000. He's been published in a variety of local and regional publications, as well as featured regularly on Portland, Ore. radio and even a few national programs. Along with his media credentials, Kris is the founder of a golf travel company that focuses on the beautiful golf courses and resorts of the western United States. NW Golf Adventures Twitter Facebook Google+

14 Comments

14 Comments

  1. JDB

    Feb 21, 2014 at 5:39 am

    How about Wolf Creek…. Looks like a fun course for the pros and it might make match play even better. I watch it now but Wolf Creek’s layout would draw the big names and sponsers

    Reply Report comment

  2. Ei

    Feb 20, 2014 at 1:50 am

    They should move it to the LA/Palm Springs/San Diego area, or Florida, and get it out of the no man’s land of Arizona. Dove Mountain is so far and away from anything attractive or interesting, it’s literally in the middle of nowhere. Europeans and other world players go there and wonder where in the heck they are. And hardly any crowd shows up to see it so the event makes no money that way, even though there’s 64 really good players showing up to play. At least on the West Coast they would get some sort of a crowd. That’s the mistake they made with putting that event in the middle of nowhere. Florida would probably be a good bet for the future, it would be much closer for 90% of the guys in the event (including the Europe-based players), and a good kick start to the Florida swing.

    Reply Report comment

    • MFB

      Feb 20, 2014 at 9:23 am

      Obviously you have no idea of what you are talking about.

      Reply Report comment

      • Ei

        Feb 21, 2014 at 12:53 am

        Obviously I do, otherwise they wouldn’t consider moving it.

        Reply Report comment

  3. Brian

    Feb 19, 2014 at 6:38 pm

    The main reason they are complaining is because the tour had to play in conditions us normal golfers had to encounter: 40s with wind. I also agree with the point it’s a waste of time for some players to play 16 holes and be sent home right away.

    Too bad though, it’s nice to see something other than stroke play

    Reply Report comment

  4. Aaron

    Feb 19, 2014 at 2:45 pm

    I like to see these guys challenged with a different format. It makes every hole a grind vs. a bunch of meaningless holes on Thurs. and Fri.

    Reply Report comment

  5. Mat

    Feb 19, 2014 at 12:03 pm

    Tucson should continue to host a high profile event. What is baffling is the format is ALL bracket! Play a field for Two rounds on Wed & Thu, qualifying the top 16 for match play over F, S, Sun.

    Or cut half the field after two, half on Friday, half on Saturday, then play the remaining 8 on Sunday with a 9-hole match play. It would be awesome tv.

    Worst part about the current format is so many one-and-out. No one has time to watch the head to head of 32 matches. It’s just too many in the opening rounds.

    Reply Report comment

    • Rob

      Feb 19, 2014 at 1:02 pm

      That’s a great point. Maybe more guys like Mickelson and Woods would play if they knew it would be guaranteed action for more than one day. The current format stinks for tv.

      Reply Report comment

  6. Paul

    Feb 19, 2014 at 11:19 am

    How about a wgc event that actually travels the world ??

    Reply Report comment

    • mick

      Feb 19, 2014 at 12:06 pm

      California counts as a different country

      Reply Report comment

    • MFB

      Feb 20, 2014 at 9:26 am

      Sorry but the American Players are not leaving the US in February to possibly play one round of golf.
      And since the American PGA Tour is the number one tour it will stay in the US or just go away.

      Reply Report comment

  7. Rob

    Feb 19, 2014 at 10:51 am

    Harding Park would be a cool venue, but what about someplace closer to the Florida swing? TPC Sawgrass would be pretty awesome with matches coming down to 17 and 18.

    Reply Report comment

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