Match play vs. stroke play....

ode

..... for your viewing pleasure which do you prefer? and why?

fatshot

ode While I really like the head-to-head competition that match play brings to an event, I can see why sponsors (and especially TV) like medal play better. While all pros are good and hit amazing shots, I think TV fans would rather see someone like Jordan Speith play Rory McIlroy in the finals.....unfortunately, it doesn't always work out that way. I take nothing away from Bubba Watson or Kevin Kisner, but they're not the guys fans tune in to watch. I'm watching, but flipping back and forth to the NCAA tournament. In a medal play tournament, the big names are usually still in the field on Sunday.

Weirfan

Like both but prefer match to watch and play. Really enjoy playing 2 man best ball.

The strategy , the head games , the back and forth, the fact that you can take risks, have a blow up hole but not be out of it. Ryder Cup could well be my favorite event in all of golf.

Rickochet

To me it seems like this week we have seen more shot making by more players than we usually see during a stroke play pro event. NBC in particular shows too much putting and not enough shot making.

rsvman

Rickochet This.

NBC at times looks like they are televising a putt-putt competition. It's really annoying.

darpar

I like match play,but not on a weekly basis.
The WGC this week has produced some pretty big upsets,and some exciting golf.
And it's on a course that sets up well for match play,with some drivable par4's,
short par3's....a bunch of risk/reward type holes.

Weirfan

darpar

Not every week for sure, but would love a few more events, maybe 3 each season.
Problem is that logistics make it hard to have a full field event with 140 odd players but I suppose if they had a venue with 2 courses it could work.

LBlack14

Match play. I used to caddie in some local amateur tourneys that went from medal play the 1st 2 days to match play to determine a champion. I always enjoyed the match play most.

mikeintopeka

I too think that the Ryder Cup, President's Cup, and the Solheim Cup are my favorite viewing events. You see this type of competition bring out the best in some (i.e. Poulter) and others can't meet their expectations (i.e. Tiger). Compelling competitions.

And I thought for stroke play, the Olympics were a disappointment in their hype and coverage but the Masters is the Grand Daddy of stroke play in my opinion due to the aura around it.

ode

I would love to see more match play, but hard to do a full field events, unless they shortened the matches or ?? One more per year would be nice!

ZWExton

fatshot And when someone is filling their pants like Kisner is today there's someone else to watch in stroke play.

RobertThomas

Match play. We play most every week with our groups and if seems no matter who is paired with who the matches are very tight. We do use handicaps. Seems like every match comes down to the last hole. Today our match was even. We only play for a beer or 5 bucks, but we are serious about winning. 🙂

darpar

Bubba looks like he's ready for Augusta,this wasn't even close today.

braveheart

Match play more often would be cool. The less putting out, moves things along better.
It’s especially a better way to play amongst friends or in a league for the same reason.

sdandrea1

Prefer match play - both watching and playing!

GLFTPS

I like playing match play but it is not so great for TV. The PGA Championship used to be match play but TV did not like it because you ended up with just a few players on Sunday. Four hours of Bubba and Kisner.

MartinD

It would be good to see more matchplay on tour...

One possibility for a full-field event - have two qualifying rounds of strokeplay on Wednesday/Thursday to get the field down to 64 (or maybe 32 - 64 would mean playing 2 rounds per day Friday/Saturday/Sunday, which would make getting everything finished on the Friday difficult, and potentially cause issues if there were any delays), then straight knockout matchplay from then on. To get around the lack of players on the course on the last day, have a 'second flight' competition for the players who lost at the last 32 stage, with some cash/ranking points on offer.

letthebigdogshunt

The reason I like the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup is the match play. But that is enough for the year for me. I like to play stroke play because match play you can get sloppy on a few holes and still win the match. Stroke play if you make a big number on just one or two holes you probably will lose your money.

kelco9

I FAR prefer stroke play where there are a few players jockeying and taking runs at the title. Watching a match play tournament is like watching paint dry, IMO. I have no interest in it. I watched all of about an hour of this week's tournament and the only reason I watched that amount of it is that I had to something when I stopped for lunch. That being said, the Ryder Cup is my favorite golf event, even above the majors. But it is more the team element, the different formats, and strategy of the match-ups that attracts me, not the match play. As for playing tournaments, though, I FAR prefer playing match play.

PA-PLAYA

Not sure what the tv ratings were for yesterday's match with Bubba vs Kisner, but it couldn't have been all that great. When Bubba was 6-up through 7 holes, there was really no incentive there for me to not switch the channel to the NCAA tournament going on.

That's the potential downside to the format as a televised, non-Ryder Cup event. Neither match (finals or consolation match) were overly compelling.

Ryder Cup is different, however. It seems Ryder Cup brings out the best and most always delivers a compelling finish. As a regular tour event, not so much a lot of the time.