World Super 6 Perth event announced

The ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour are set to introduce a new format in 2017, with the inaugural World Super 6 Perth announced this week.

To be played at Lake Karrinyup Country Club from 16-19 February, 2017 and co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia and European Tour, the World Super 6 Perth features a unique format, combining 54 holes of traditional stroke play across the first three days with an exciting knockout match play format for the fourth and final round.

A regular cut will fall after 36 holes before the field is then further reduced to the top-24 players following 54 holes of regulation play, with any ties for 24th place being decided by a play-off. Those remaining players will then earn their places in the six-hole shoot-out.

Any matches tied after the six holes will be decided by playing the new Knockout Hole – a purpose-built 90-metre hole which will be constructed at Lake Karrinyup, with a new tee placed adjacent to the 18th fairway and utilising the 18th green.

The Knockout Hole will be played once and if a winner is still not decided, the competitors will return to the new tee and take on a nail-biting decider, with the victor decided on a nearest-the-pin contest where only the first shot counts.

That player will then progress to the next round of the match play or, in the case of the final match, win the tournament.

“This is an exciting day for international golf as we launch the World Super 6 Perth; a golf tournament which is set to change the way people view golf,” said Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia and PGA Tour of Australasia.

“Cricket has Twenty20, Netball has Fast5, Rugby Union has Rugby7’s and now golf has the World Super 6 Perth.”

A huge proponent for golf’s need to adapt and find a shortened format, Keith Pelley, Chief Executive Officer of the European Tour, is excited to see the World Super 6 Perth make its debut in 2017.

Pelley said: “This initiative was something that we spoke about at great length to our Tournament Committee, led by Chairman Thomas Bjørn. We are thrilled to participate in this because, at the European Tour, we believe that golf needs to look at new and innovative formats.”

The ground-breaking World Super 6 Perth will also showcase the changing face of Perth and attract millions of dollars in exposure for Western Australia.

“I think this type of competition will appeal to all golfers, but especially to a younger demographic, and will encourage competitors to play aggressive and attacking golf,” said Western Australian Premier and Tourism Minister Colin Barnett.

“Golf is very popular throughout the world, especially Europe and Asia, and has a high appeal for many people in some of our top tourism markets, including Singapore, China, Malaysia and the UK.

“The World Super 6 Perth will deliver valuable national and international media coverage of WA throughout the four-day broadcast, not only through the stunning scenery at Lake Karrinyup, but also through vignettes and billboards shown throughout play,” Barnett said.

“Western Australia has a long and proud history of hosting world-class sporting events. Our vision for the World Super 6 Perth is to create an event embraced by Western Australia that celebrates the WA culture and way of life,” added Thorburn.

“To help make this vision come to life we will be working closely alongside Golf WA, the WA Division of the PGA, Lake Karrinyup Country Club and the entire WA golf family.”

“The World Super 6 Perth also cements the PGA Tour of Australasia’s relationship with the European Tour. Together we now co-sanction three tournaments in the Australasia region, we are working together to grow the game.”

The World Super 6 Perth will be played at Lake Karrinyup Country Club from 16-19 February and will form part of both the 2017 European Tour Race to Dubai and the ISPS HANDA PGA Tour of Australasia Order of Merit.