The Big Lead

A revamped, bracket-style Tour Championship is exactly what golf needs to add drama

A report from The Athletic suggests the tournament could implement the format changes as soon as the 2025 season.

By Matt Reed

Jul 6, 2024; Silvis, Illinois, USA; Jordan Spieth signs autographs for fans during the third round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress-Imagn Images
Jul 6, 2024; Silvis, Illinois, USA; Jordan Spieth signs autographs for fans during the third round of the John Deere Classic golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress-Imagn Images / Joseph Cress-Imagn Images
facebooktwitter

Golf has had plenty of off-the-course drama over recent years with the PGA Tour and LIV Golf's rivalry, but the sport needs more tension between the players and one proposal could potentially make that a reality.

RELATED: Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy highlight top players missing The Sentry

According to a report from The Athletic, the Tour Championship is looking to revamp its format as early as 2025 by turning it into a bracket-style competition that would pit some of golf's elite players against one another.

This is big news for the sport for a variety of reasons, including that it potentially brings matchplay back into the fold on the PGA Tour. Since 2023, when the tour ended the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, there haven't been any other stops that included non-traditional stroke play tournaments.

And although the specifics of how the Tour Championship could look haven't been finalized it's at least encouraging to see the PGA Tour recognizing that matchplay can be an intriguing format for viewers.

From a tour standpoint, obviously there's some concern about less players competing as a tournament wears on, especially if it's not marquee names reaching the latter stages of the competition. But, the pressure of matchplay is one of the reasons why the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play was such a fascinating event for avid fans.

Billy Hoerschel wins the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas after beating Scottie Scheffler
Mar 28, 2021; Austin, Texas, USA; Billy Horschel holds the Walter Hagen Cup after winning the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play golf tournament at Austin Country Club over Scottie Scheffler. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images / Erich Schlegel-Imagn Images

Imagine seeing Scottie Scheffler face off against Rory McIlroy or Xander Schauffele in an 18-hole matchplay format to win a competition. The possibilities are endless for how the PGA could ramp its bracket-style tournaments, but considering how long the golf season is and some of the gaps between major tournaments this could be exactly what's needed to spark more interest in the game.

MORE TOP STORIES from The Big Lead
CFB: Can anyone stop Ohio State?
NBA: Austin Reaves’ strong play revives trade talk
MLB: Ichiro leads list of three likely new Hall of Famers
SPORTS MEDIA:Sports writers’ incredible Rose Bowl streak has ended

Home/Golf