Relaxation in peace, World Golf Championship.
Golf Week I knew this may be the final 12 months of the WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play in Austin. Its spot on the 2024 schedule, which is often late March on the again finish of the Florida Swing, is anticipated to be crammed by the Cadence Financial institution Houston Open, until it prefers a late April/early Could date as a substitute as a part of the occasion shuffle.
Efforts to achieve Dell Match Play match director Jordan Uppleger have been unsuccessful. A PGA Tour spokesperson despatched a press release: “Whereas we navigate the various transferring elements associated to structural adjustments to the 2024 PGA Tour schedule, discussions are ongoing relating to the WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play past this 12 months. We stay centered on staging the 2023 WGC-Dell Applied sciences occasion.” Match Play has been extremely profitable for our followers and we count on to announce particulars about the way forward for the occasion when they’re accessible.”
The Austin Nation Membership has been the host venue for Match Play since 2016 when Dell grew to become the title sponsor. On the time, the World Golf Championship was thought of the highest-ranked match in golf after the 4 Grand Slams and the Gamers Championship, the primary occasion on the tour.
WGCs portfolios, beginning in 1999, have been raised, fields have been principally restricted to high-ranked gamers, and there have been no particular occasions. (Tiger Woods has gained 18 water sports activities with Dustin Johnson ending second with 5.)
In 2021, the variety of WGC occasions was diminished by two with the WGC-Mexico Open being diminished to an everyday PGA Tour occasion and the conversion of the WGC-FedEx St. Louis Cardinals. Jude superior to the primary spherical of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Scotty Scheffler holds the Walter Hagen Trophy after defeating Kevin Kisner within the closing of the 2022 World Golf Championship – Dell Applied sciences Match Play at Austin Nation Membership. (Picture: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports activities)
The demise of WGC Match Play technically leaves the WGC-HSBC Champions as the latest WGC match however the match, which is being contested in China, has not been performed since 2019 on account of COVID-19. There isn’t a indication that the match may very well be held this 12 months both, and the LPGA has simply canceled a match on Hainan Island in China that was scheduled to happen in March on account of “ongoing issues associated to COVID-19”.
The Match Play, which Scotty Scheffler beat to achieve world primary final spring, is among the new occasions set for the Tour this season. Will probably be contested in March for a record-breaking $20 million championship purse, however that is additionally the identical quantity as 10 high-profile championships, which has depressed WGC’s model worth. (Having nearly all of occasions staged in the USA additionally made the identify a misnomer.)
The PGA Tour Participant’s Advisory Board met final Tuesday on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open and the 2024 Tour schedule was a subject of dialog. PAC member Kevin Strellman confirmed {that a} future matchup was on the agenda.
[the_huddle]
“They talked about it slightly bit,” Strelman mentioned. “I hope they’ll save him. It is a care difficulty.”
“It is quite common information,” he added, however famous, “Completely no determination has been made but.”
Nevertheless, a number of sources mentioned Golf Week {that a} determination had been made and {that a} high-ranking government overseeing the match administration division for the tour had instructed the employees in Austin to “begin smoothing issues out”.
Merchandise from WGC-Dell Applied sciences Match Play on the Austin Nation Membership. (Tim Schmidt/Golfweek)
The tour Austin Nation Membership despatched out a proposal greater than 4 months in the past, and the ACC pressed laborious, dealing with exorbitant will increase in website charges and ticket requests for its members. The tour declined, and there was no contact between the 2 events for a number of months. It did not assist that membership was divided with a big camp that believed the occasion had run its course there. In response to one supply, the ICC got here to its senses and tried to re-engage, however the tour was “silent by radio” for 4 months. Two weeks in the past, the ACC despatched the Tour an unsolicited proposal to conform to the Tour’s authentic phrases and prolong the deal for an extra two years.
“I heard it did not go properly,” mentioned the PGA Tour match director for one more occasion, who spoke on situation of anonymity due to his relationship with each events. “They’re on the market.”
Typically, the tour will withdraw its stakes and depart city until the sponsor flees and doing so is a final resort. However a supply says that in August, the spherical turned down Intel, which Dell wished as a companion, to be the presentation sponsor. The chipmaker was poised to signal the dotted line to a five-year contract for between $5 million to $8 million yearly. However the Tour, maybe figuring out that its schedule should evolve to counter the onslaught of LIV Golf, the upstart league, will solely commit to 1 12 months. No settlement was reached.
like beforehand talked about earlier than Golf WeekJim Crane, billionaire proprietor of the Houston Astros, has been taking part in hardball hoping to get Houston again within the majors schedule, ideally with a spring date. The CJ Cup, which originated in South Korea in 2017 however has been performed within the US for the reason that pandemic and was most just lately held in South Carolina in October, can be trying to improve its dates from its fall schedule. The Tour has but to launch its schedule for subsequent season, however a Match Play loss might imply at the very least a much less devoted occasion in 2024, or its alternative may very well be moved up within the schedule.
“A spherical will not go removed from taking part in a match,” mentioned the match director. “I would not be shocked to see it pop up someplace else.”
However proper now, Match Play appears to be damaged and working out of holes.