Masters Play-off format ... boring

[Carl Rogers]

Start the final round earlier ...  if a play-off is required, thus having more hours of daylight.

Format: 4 holes stroke play starting at 10.  Playing Amen Corner with so much at stake would be epic.  If tied after 13, then on to 14 at sudden death.

[Brent Hutto]

You've had a 72-hole stroke play tournament to decide a winner. A tie leads to sudden-death playoff.

How would it be an improvement to have a 72-hole stroke play tournament, then a little 4-hole stroke play mini-tournament, then a tie leads to sudden-death playoff.

And how can anyone think a sudden death playoff, where virtually ever putt has the potential to decide the winner is more "boring" than four more holes of stroke play?

[Carl Rogers]

Playing 2 holes over and over again is boring.

[Jason Walker]

2009 British Open playoff was boring.

Yesterday was anything but.  They could play any hole over and over again, it wouldn't matter.

[Brent Hutto]

They've never done it in the history of the Masters, have they? Maybe reserve judgment until it actually happens?

[Brent Hutto]

2009 British Open playoff was boring.

Yesterday was anything but.  They could play any hole over and over again, it wouldn't matter.

True 'dat.

Yesterday was helped immensely IMO by the two personalities involved. Especially Cabrera but also Scott have the perfect demeanors for putting on a good show of "extra holes". They both act like they've been there before instead of looking like a scared-spitless deer caught in the headlights. And they were interacting with each other, reacting to the shots and generally seemed to be enjoying the opportunity to play.

A lot of playoffs it seems like the players involved are treating it as "hang on until someone is eliminated". These guys were genuinely out there trying to one-up each other and win this thing, in the best match-play tradition.

Plus you had the added entertainment factor (for a non-Spanish speaker like myself) of Angel Cabrera bellowing forth random incomprehensible remarks after every shot. That was great, as was Adam Scott's muscle-man pose after both the 72nd and 74th hole putts dropped. Man that dude is ripped.

[J_ Crisham]

Playing 2 holes over and over again is boring.

Are you serious? The Masters playoffs are always the most exciting- nothing worse than an 18 hole US OPen playoff. Interesting that a playoff at the Masters has never lasted longer than 2 holes. They just know how to do it right- always the best run event of the year hands down. The competitors are always the first to echo this sentiment.

[Tim Martin]

Playing 2 holes over and over again is boring.

Are you serious? The Masters playoffs are always the most exciting- nothing worse than an 18 hole US OPen playoff. Interesting that a playoff at the Masters has never lasted longer than 2 holes. They just know how to do it right- always the best run event of the year hands down. The competitors are always the first to echo this sentiment.

+1

[Sven Nilsen]

Sudden death is ten times better than a 4 or 18 hole playoff.  You can't match the edge of your seat drama that hangs in the air on every shot.

One of these days we're going to get a Flyers/Penguins 4 overtime playoff game or a Wimbledon-esque Isner/Mahut match.  It'll throw the daylight issue under scrutiny as they'll have to carry over to Monday, but imagine 10 or 12 holes of matching scores before its decided.

[Bill Brightly]

Playing 2 holes over and over again is boring.

Are you serious? The Masters playoffs are always the most exciting- nothing worse than an 18 hole US OPen playoff. Interesting that a playoff at the Masters has never lasted longer than 2 holes. They just know how to do it right- always the best run event of the year hands down. The competitors are always the first to echo this sentiment.

+1

+1

Carl, are you really trying to tell us that you were BORED watching yesterday's playoff? You might argue that it is inappropriate, unfair, a less than desirable way to determine a champion, etc. but please don't say it was boring...

[Jim_Kennedy]

At one time or other all the majors used a Monday 18 hole playoff to decide their winner.

The Masters change to sudden death makes sense. The drama that it usually brings us on Sunday afternoon would be nearly impossible to recreate on a Monday.

The US Open's 18 hole playoff seems to fit the ethos of the event. Great drama over the last nine holes is not necessarily the order of the day; careful play on a brutal set-up usually is.

[cary lichtenstein]

The play off was very, very exciting...we missed dinner, nice if they tee'd up an hour or 2 earlier

[Carl Rogers]

Playing 2 holes over and over again is boring.

Are you serious? The Masters playoffs are always the most exciting- nothing worse than an 18 hole US OPen playoff. Interesting that a playoff at the Masters has never lasted longer than 2 holes. They just know how to do it right- always the best run event of the year hands down. The competitors are always the first to echo this sentiment.

+1

+1

Carl, are you really trying to tell us that you were BORED watching yesterday's playoff? You might argue that it is inappropriate, unfair, a less than desirable way to determine a champion, etc. but please don't say it was boring...

Of course it is off the scale exciting, but had Scott not made the putt, going back to 18 would have been not as interesting as going on to 11.  I do not like the format.

[Matthew Rose]

I prefer the old 10-11 rotation as well. 11 in particular has had a lot of history.

[Bill_McBride]

The play off was very, very exciting...we missed dinner, nice if they tee'd up an hour or 2 earlier

They wouldn't hod dinner for you at the home?   Jeez, I would complain!   

[Bill_McBride]

I prefer the old 10-11 rotation as well. 11 in particular has had a lot of history.

The problem is that the majority of the patrons are already lining the 18th fairway. 

[Steve Lang]

  and its all about theatre and execution at that point... break a leg! 

[Brad Klein]

18 has lights from the western sky. 11 and 12 are in a dark tunnel and very far away from the main crowd. So we're stuck with 18-10-18-10. Of course it would help to start play an hour early, but then they'd miss maxing out on audience ratings. To state the obvious in a mixed metaphor, golf values are not driving this bus.

[Matthew Rose]

I was actually going to ask why they did switch. Is it the light issue?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Carl,

I agree about starting earlier and had made the comment to several watching the playoff.

If Adam hadn't made the putt, darkness could have caused the playoff to be suspended until the next day.

Think of how anticlimactic that would be

However I haven't gotten any phone calls from 706-667-6000 asking my opinion