The change adds more flexibility, will be in place for all future pro world championships
February 6, 2018 by Alex Colucci in Livewire, News with 0 comments
In an article published yesterday by PDGA Media Coordinator Steve Hill, the PDGA board of directors announced the addition of a fifth round and a final day cut to the 2018 PDGA Professional World Championship and all future pro worlds. The move comes after a four round 2017 Worlds that was nearly cut short by lightning during the final round.
According to PDGA Director of Operations Mike Downes, who was quoted in the piece, the change back to a longer format allows for more flexibility should hazardous weather impact the event. He suggested that the extra round should offer added incentives to potential host locations and sponsors looking to make an economic impact. The move should entice more cities to bid for the prestigious Major after the 2019 Worlds bidding process saw just two locales throw in their hat.
Downes also added that player feedback was taken into account when making the decision. While six, seven and eight round Worlds appear to have fallen out of favor with a majority of the top pros, many still want the Major to be differentiated from PDGA National Tour and A-Tier events, many of which are already four rounds.
“I think the fact that Worlds is at five rounds definitely makes it feel more like a world championship,” two-time defending world champion Ricky Wysocki was quoted as saying. “Even when I won when it was shortened, it just didn’t feel right because we were used to having a marathon of five, six rounds.”
The addition of a final day cut adds an extra layer of competitiveness to the event. Cuts to the field, while commonplace at many ball golf events, remain a relatively rare feature in PDGA sanctioned tournaments at all levels
The 2018 PDGA Professional World Championship will be held at Smugglers’ Notch Resort in Jeffersonville, Vermont from September 5th through the 9th. The 2019 World Championship will take place in Peoria, Illinois.
