Tim Finchem discusses the possibility of changing sudden death Playoffs to multi-hole Playoffs
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem discussed the possibility of alterations in the sudden death Playoff and opined that the format for the Playoff’s can be switched over to a three-hole Playoff.
The Playoff decision, on the likes of penalty kicks in Football, has long been a debate among the players as well as the golf critics who regard the format as unjust and abrupt.
Two or more players who finish off the 72-hole event for the same aggregate score, then move on to play for one single hole, mostly the 18th, in order to decide the winner.
Often the verdict is surprisingly different to the player’s overall performance over the weekend, which thereby, raises doubts about the credibility of the victory itself.
Also, the single-hole Playoff decisions render the event luke warm much like the recent decision of the Masters on the Playoff where Bubba Watson won the title with one amazing approach shot throughout the day.
Finchem lamented the fact that although the tour is currently considering alterations in the same, the existing agreements with the TV Channels and various other media outlets, have been keeping them from taking the step for the current year.
Finchem said that the rule is likely to be altered starting from next year and the tour will probably switch over to the three-hole Playoff instead of sudden death.
He said, "We’ll be talking about it again this year. It’s something that’s interesting to us, but we have not yet determined it’s something that we should necessarily do. If you ask 10 people, probably five would say, if you’re going to have a playoff, sudden
death on the 17th hole is tough to beat. Others would argue that you keep the suspense going in an aggregate, multi-hole situation”.
The decision however, will have to consider the lightening conditions and some other factors in consideration as a best-of-three Playoff is likely to consume more time towards the end of the day.
Finchem added, "Then you take either one of those courses and start to apply it to air times and darkness".
Finchem was talking to the annual PGA Tour press conference at TPC Sawgrass, venue of the coveted Players Championship which is set to tee-off on Thursday, May 10.
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