Scottie Scheffler finally got his hands on the Tour Championship title as the world number one’s remarkable 2024 season ended positively.
The American added $25 million to his season’s earnings after edging out Collin Morikawa by four shots at East Lake.
The Tour Championship, however, came under fire after Scheffler criticised the FedEx Cup format before the first playoff event in Memphis.
The PGA Tour has been backed to introduce match-play into the playoffs in order to drive interest, and Billy Horschel is the latest player to share his thoughts on the prospect.
Billy Horschel shares honest thoughts on match-play at the Tour Championship
Speaking during the Fairways of Life with Matt Adams Golf Show, Horschel claimed that, although match-play appears attractive, the actual outcome can sometimes prove far from entertaining.
“First off, I see a lot of people talking about match-play. Match-play is great, but let me tell you what, no one wants to see just one single match on the final day,” Horschel wrote. “If you are trying to bring in your non-regular golf fans and sports fans in general, if someone is four or five up after four or five holes, it’s not going to be entertaining.”
The American then went on to highlight a match between himself and Scheffler at the WGC Match-play, which was a spectator’s nightmare.
Horschel added: “I was told recently that the final round of the WGC Match-play in the last two out of three years was the lowest-televised final round of any PGA Tour event. I happened to be involved in one of those last matches with Scottie Scheffler. I will say it was a terrible match to watch because we only made one birdie between us.
“When you hear about match-play that people keep bringing up, yeah, it sounds cool, but for TV and viewership, I don’t think it comes across as exciting on a year-to-year basis.”
Match-play event is the glamourous solution for the PGA Tour
As Horschel mentions, match-play is the glamorous solution for those on the PGA Tour, which, on the face of it, would drive attention.
The reality of a match-play event replacing the traditional format would be very different. Scheffler, for example, could win a match by the 12th or 13th hole if he’s in top form.
Furthermore, most matches will be decided before the final three holes take place.
Of course, there’s a vision of Scheffler and Xander Schauffele going head-to-head down East Lake’s 18th, gunning for golf’s most lucrative prize, but, unfortunately, such a prospect is a pipe dream.
Changes are needed, but whether match-play is the correct path is certainly up for debate.
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