Something new is taking place on the European Tour this weekend. Described as “golf – but not as you know it” on the Tour’s website, the Golf Sixes is an experimental event which aims to modernise the game and attract new, younger fans. It remains to be seen how it all turns out but it’s fair to say that there is a good deal of excitement about the Golf Sixes.
The action takes place at the Centurion Club in St Albans. The tournament organisers have picked out six holes from the course which they hope will test all aspects of the players’ games and be the perfect setting for the six-hole matches that form the basis of the tournament’s format.
Those matches will be contested by teams of two each playing under their national flags. Initially the 16 teams will be split into four groups. Each team will play the others in their groups with three points awarded for a win and one for a draw. After the groups are done on Saturday it’s time for the knockout matches on Sunday with the victorious pair winning their share of the €1 million prize fund in the final.
The final thing to note about the format is that all the games will be played in a Greensomes format. That means that each player will hit a tee shot before the pairs decide which one they prefer. From then on it’s alternate shot all the way until the ball finds the bottom of the hole.
Team England Can Win for the Home Fans
The European Tour and the Centurion Club have put in a great deal of effort to ensure a high turnout of fans this week. There are all sorts of activities to enjoy around the holes but those focusing on the actual golf will give the bulk of their support to the English team of Andy Sullivan and Chris Wood.
Both men look to have the combination of the skills and attitude required to succeed this week. They both qualified for last summer’s Ryder Cup and also both have a fairly laidback approach to their golf. The English pair will enjoy themselves and could end up as the inaugural champions at odds of 5/1 with BetVictor.
Australian Pairing Look the Value Pick
There are many top quality players in the field this week who are capable of laying down a real challenge to the English team. But of them all, it’s the Australian pairing of Sam Brazel and Scott Hend who appear to be the best value.
The experienced partnership have played golf in a huge variety of climates, countries and atmospheres so they won’t be phased by what they encounter in St Albans. They are also highly skilled golfers with Hend claiming the Asian Tour of Merit title last season and Brazel picking up a win on the current European Tour season at the UBS Hong Kong Open. The Australian pair are available at a best price of 20/1 with Coral which looks like very good value about a highly skilled team.