Golf Sixes and the European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley’s other initiatives are a hopeful sign that the need for radical thinking may be dawning on the game
In these days in which golf and innovation are suddenly bedfellows, one wonders what might happen next. The most fascinating aspect relating to the wearing of shorts during practice rounds, music accompanying players on the driving range or potential for fireworks on tees is the level of attention these background – and not tournament-defining – elements receive. Golf’s obsession with tradition is illustrated when these elements of show business are added and onlookers report them as somehow revelatory.
Meanwhile, pro-am formats such as the one used at Pebble Beach last weekend render what should be premium competition utterly unwatchable. Later in the year, the European Tour’s Dunhill Links Championship will follow the same tired and elongated trend. It is this format which has to change; not the introduction of Beyoncé and some rockets.
Related: European Tour looks to entertain with new €1m GolfSixes team event
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