GolfSixes: Key questions about the European Tour's new event
By Ali Stafford
Last Updated: 06/05/17 1:40pm
There’s a new tournament full of new innvoations on the European Tour this week with the inaugural GolfSixes. We take a closer at what to expect from the event…
Format
Two-man teams from 16 nations compete on a six-hole circuit, with the pairs split in to four groups of four for a round-robin tournament.
Greensomes format will be used, meaning teams pick the best tee shot from the two players and then play alternate shots from there.
Each match is decided on the number of holes won, with three points awarded for a fixture won and one point for a draw. The top two teams from each group then progress to Sunday's knock-out rounds.
Any tied matches in the quarter-finals, semi-finals, third-place play-off and the final will go to a sudden death play-off, with the tournament offering a prize fund of €1 million.
Field
Ryder Cup teammates Andy Sullivan and Chris Wood represent England and are the top seeds in the tournament, with former Ryder Cup winners Jamie Donaldson and Nicolas Colsaerts also featuring.
Last week's Volvo China Open champion Alexander Levy leads the French team alongside Gregory Bourdy, while early season winners Brandon Stone and Darren Fichardt make up the South African side.
Open de France title holder Thongchai Jaidee and Turkish Airlines Open champion Thorbjorn Olesen also take part, as do Scottish duo Marc Warren and Richie Ramsay.
Course
Centurion Golf club on the outskirts of St Albans hosts the event, with each hole in the circuit being modified to give a different challenge and make every shot count.
Pyrotechnics and music will great players at the first hole, while money will be donated to charity for each birdie on the second hole.
The par-five third will be reachable in two and will have a leaderboard showing the longest drives, with a shot clock brought in to encourage speed and limit players to just 40 seconds between shots at the next hole.
There's a nearest-the-pin challenge for the professionals at the fifth, while in-round interviews will greet the players on the final hole of the six-hole circuit.
TV coverage
The draw for the group stage will be made live on Sky Sports News HQ at 6pm on Tuesday May 6, with coverage kicking off on Sky Sports 4 from 12.30pm on both Saturday and Sunday.
Vernon Kay and Anna Whiteley will co-present the tournament alongside regular Sky Sports pundits Nick Dougherty, Andrew Coltart and Henni Zuel, while a number of celebrity commentators will guest over the weekend.
Watch the GolfSixes live from May 6-7 on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf
