Stroke play makes for much better TV, while match-play makes for much better watching in person.
Bill,
I disagree with this. Stroke play makes for a more certain outcome in terms of big names and the time of finish. There's nothing more exciting than a nail-biter of a match that comes down to the final holes. Remember the Battle of Brookline?
Jud:
Sometimes. The World Match Play championship has shown that, on occasion, two very good players will battle it out in the end. But it seems just as often, two modest talents end up in the final match. The nature of the Ryder Cup today -- evenly matched squads, for the most part, and 24 of probably the 40 best talents in the game -- makes the odds in favor of having a compelling singles match in the end. Not so with a match-play tournament.
Point taken, Phil -- but the past 20 years of PGA stroke play suggests that (relatively) modest talents are sometimes at the top in the end. If I'm counting right, 10 of the past 20 PGA Champions have 1 (one) major:
2012 Rory McIlroy The Ocean Course 67-75-67-66-275 -13
2011 Keegan Bradley Atlanta Athletic Club 71-64-69-68-272 -8
2010 Martin Kaymer Whistling Straits 72-68-67-70-277 -11
2009 Y.E. Yang Hazeltine National GC 73-70-67-70-280 -8
2008 Padraig Harrington Oakland Hills CC 71-74-66-66-277 -3
2007 Tiger Woods Southern Hills CC 71-63-69-69-272 -8
2006 Tiger Woods Medinah CC 69-68-65-68-270 -18
2005 Phil Mickelson Baltusrol GC 67-65-72-72-276 -4
2004 Vijay Singh Whistling Straits 67-68-69-76-280 -8
2003 Shaun Micheel Oak Hill CC 69-68-69-70-276 -4
2002 Rich Beem Hazeltine Nat'l GC 72-66-72-68-278 -10
2001 David Toms Atlanta Athl. Club 66-65-65-69-265 -15
2000 Tiger Woods Valhalla GC 66-67-70-67-270 -18
1999 Tiger Woods Medinah CC 70-67-68-72-277 -11
1998 Vijay Singh Sahalee GC 70-66-67-68-271 -9
1997 Davis Love III Winged Foot 66-71-66-66-269 -11
1996 Mark Brooks Valhalla GC 68-70-69-70-277 -11
1995 Steve Elkington Riviera CC 68-67-68-64-267 -17
1994 Nick Price Southern Hills CC 67-65-70-67-269 -11
1993 Paul Azinger Inverness Club 69-66-69-68-272 -12