Question of the day

[essurfer]

I really like the match play format. Watching those guys go head to head reveals some really interesting results. My question is a simple one. If all the tournaments were match play do you believe that the top golfers would still be "the top golfers" or there would be some migration among the top 20 or so?

[Simp]

The cream always rises to the top in a stroke play 72 hole tournament. In match play it's whole 'nuther animal. The lowest ranked player in the field could catch fire and blister the top seed.

[Chip Shot]

I think Tiger would most definetly be the top player still. After that players like Furyk, Scott, Vijay, Mickleson, Els would also be there. But look at it now with the way Charles Howell III is playing and he wasn't in the top 50. He would easily be in the top 10. Also Aaron Baddeley with similiar early results would be up there as well.

[tmtp]

I think match play would get a little boring seeing it every week, I like the idea that someone from five or six shots can make a late charge on Sunday and win.

[bbasile777@yahoo.com]

I think the top 10 would be about the same.

[Wazmankg]

I think that Tiger might be even more dominant if that's possible. He's a fantastic match play player. Other than that, I think it would all shake out pretty much the same as now over time.

[JimSomebody]

Tiger certainly has the mental toughness to do very well if the Tour played match play week after week after week. I have a hunch that some highly ranked players might lack that degree of mental toughness long-term and would over time drop in the rankings. Not sure who they would be, but I'm thinking about the (alleged) guys who are content to be on Tour making a good living and are satisfied with an occasional Top Ten finish, but don't have enough "fire in the belly."

[tmtp]

It occured to me that I never actually answered the question. I think that the top players would still, for the most part be the top players based on how far they should advance in each tournament. I think that there would be more instances of a player not well known getting hot for a week and surprising people.

[stlcard_25]

I feel that regardless of the format, the top players would still be the top players. It wouldn't take long for them to adjust to the match play environment and in the end, your Tigers, Phils and Vijays would still win their share despite the more volatile tendencies match play has.

[qsKooLgrad]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

I think that Tiger might be even more dominant if that's possible. He's a fantastic match play player. Other than that, I think it would all shake out pretty much the same as now over time.

Tiger does not show that he is a fantastic match player in ryder cup

[Bolt Fore]

Originally Posted by qsKooLgrad

Tiger does not show that he is a fantastic match player in Ryder cup

Yes isn't that strange? In all aspects of match play he is exemplary, but when it comes to Ryder Cup he is ordinary.

[Wazmankg]

Originally Posted by qsKooLgrad

Tiger does not show that he is a fantastic match player in ryder cup

He's 3-1-1 in singles over 5 Cups. Not too shabby. His singles record is the only one he really has control over.

[GolfSavage]

I believe if more match play was integrated into the PGA season, the U.S. would perform better in Ryder Cup competition.

As for the original question, if ALL events were match play, you wouldn't have the depth of players to choose from. It seems that you can't get as many players involved every week using match play, maybe half as many as you do in stroke play competitions. This dynamic, and the "luck of the draw" aspect of match play, makes it likely that there would be some different players in different positions of the World Rankings, even among the top 10.

[stlcard_25]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

He's 3-1-1 in singles over 5 Cups. Not too shabby. His singles record is the only one he really has control over.

Thanks for getting to that before I did....umm, 10 hours before. He's also 3-1 in PC play for a 6-2-1 overall...75% winning percentage in head-to-head is pretty solid.

[Lefty]

if more match play was integrated into the PGA season, the U.S. would perform better in Ryder Cup competition.

Why? The Europeans play just as little matchplay in their season.

Better players win matches in Ryder Cup. If the two teams were lined up in World Ranking order, Europe would have nine winners and USA 3 ,in the singles Europe won 81/2 to 3 1/2 after McGingley conceded a thirty footer for half. In the fourball/foursomes events ,Europe won 10 - 6 , so Americans played ABOVE their World rankings, Europe below.

[Wazmankg]

Once in a while is enough for me for this format. Too much luck-of-the-draw involved.

[stlcard_25]

Originally Posted by Wazmankg

Once in a while is enough for me for this format. Too much luck-of-the-draw involved.

I agree. Two big match play events is a enough for a year. Network execs would be tearing their hair out when Tiger wasn't playing the weekend in half (or more) of the events he actually showed up for.

[rodney_c]

I reckon the rankings would change significantly.

Tiger would probably not win near as much, because they are all good players and any of them could easily have a hot round and beat him. He would have to play 7 matches per tournament, and he would be lucky if none of his opponents played exceptionally well.

[Dormie]

Originally Posted by rodney_c

I reckon the rankings would change significantly.

Tiger would probably not win near as much, because they are all good players and any of them could easily have a hot round and beat him. He would have to play 7 matches per tournament, and he would be lucky if none of his opponents played exceptionally well.

Change significantly? I couldn't disagree more.

Maybe Tiger wouldn't win as much, however, neither would any of the other players (not that many win 'often' besides Tiger, Phil, and VJ anyway).

The effect a match-play format has on Tiger, will be the same on the rest of the world's players. As far as I'm concerned, Tiger is still the premiere singles match-play player in the world and it would continue to be a major upset when he is beaten.

Who would possibly be the World #1 under this hypothetical new format?