PowerPlay golf made its TV debut on Sky Sports on Monday. So how did it go down with fans and viewers?
Did PowerPlay's debut on Sky TV win the fans over?
Eight months after Celtic Manor witnessed the dramatic conclusion to the 38th Ryder Cup, 12 of the world's best golfers assembled (and, in the case of some, reassembled) at the Welsh venue on another Monday for the very first PowerPlay: Ignition.
Originally the brainchild of Peter McEvoy, after a few years of incubation PowerPlay has emerged with greater backing to offer itself as radical solution to a golf market that is struggling to find financial backing.
Sponsors are desperate for fresh golfing ideas and PowerPlay believes it has the potential to do for the game what Twenty20 has done for cricket: re-energise the crowds, draw new blood to the sport and attract additional corporate support.
The debut field of 12 included Ryder Cup stars Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, legends Gary Player and Ian Woosnam, the mercurial John Daly plus Paula Creamer and Helen Alfredsson from the ladies game.
The winner, however, was the rookie Swede Caroline Hedwall who closed with three straight birdies to claim the £100,000 prize.
For her the win was a massive achievement but in the wider sense it was secondary - the real question is what everyone made of the format: did it offer anything different? Has it got the potential to change the game? Here's my assessment based on walking the fairways.
The good points
The concept of two flags on each hole, with the tougher flag offering great benefits, is radical and I can see lots of possibilities for that idea. I also enjoyed the simple concept of knowing that a golf event would be decided in a short period of time. The composite course at Celtic Manor held up well - I watched lots of golf in a short period of time.
The eclectic nature of the field worked too. I see a lot of both male and female golf, but comparing and contrasting the two at the same time was fascinating. The girls played off forward tees but that only allowed them to play from roughly the same areas on the fairways. Once there it was a straight shootout (and the ladies claimed the top three spots).
What needs addressing
Out on the course most fans were unaware of which flag (the tough or the easy one) the players were playing for - we could guess sooner or later but the system used (girls and boys carrying flags) just didn't work.
A bigger problem was the modified Stableford points system - lots of questions were being asked out on the course. Scoresheets didn't really address the problem: fans didn't want to refer to a table, they wanted an instinctive understanding. I think this might have contributed to the slightly muted noise levels (despite good crowds). It also rather gave lie to the idea of a simpler, more non-golfer friendly version of the sport.
Suggestions
I spoke to the press, TV people, photographers, course designers, PR women, agents, managers and - most importantly of all - fans out on the course. What struck me was that everyone had a view on PowerPlay: what worked, what didn't, what could be done in the future.
The most common call was for a simplification of the scoring - many wanted the normal scoring system (above/below par) but with the value double when playing for the difficult flag.
There was also a sense that is was not fundamentally different enough to the normal game. It struck me that the pace of golf is very difficult to manipulate: you can't get the players, caddies and galleries to run between shots. And since the players need a calm gallery, the speed of the crowds determines the pace of the game.
There was one telling moment when Ian Poulter was interacting with the crowd on the tee. Fans were milling around in an enjoyably chaotic fashion only for a quick "Quiet Please! Stand Still!" to call a halt to the revolution. We were back to playing musical statues whilst he went through his pre-shot routine: we'd had something different, now it was more of the same.
There was also a sense that we needed something
more gimmicky. In a totally ideal world I have a vision of a tight six-hole course (something like three par-threes, two short par-fours and one par-five) all surrounded by grandstands and big screens. Music would be thumping and crowds roaring like the 16th at TPC Scottsdale. The trouble is that there are no courses like that and it would be expensive to build ...
I like innovation and think there is a gap for something new. The organisers were pleased with this first (of three) Ignition events and were keen to observe what worked and what did not so it remains a work in progress.
What about the players?
The two reigning US Open champions, Graeme McDowell and Paula Creamer, kicked off proceedings and were positive about their experience afterwards.
"I had a blast," said Creamer. "It was pretty unique to play with the men. The opportunity to attack the course with two flags was great. I enjoyed myself!"
"Yeah, really liked the concept," added McDowell. "Really liked two flags and it was good fun to play with Paula. She played great out there."
Unsurprisingly the winner Caroline Hedwall was also bowled over. "I loved it," she said. "Getting the chance to play with Ian Poulter and the opportunity to play a different form of golf was excellent fun."
Television viewers
My opinions were based on being at the course and it is only to be expected that the players said the right things. PowerPlay aims to be a strong television brand so what did viewers think? I canvassed opinion on Twitter and the replies (lots of them strong!) tended to fall into one of three camps:
Those in favour of PowerPlay:
"Liked format, especially male/female mix and player interaction with TV."
"PowerPlay Golf was amazing."
"We've been playing it at our club with reasonable success for the past year."
"PowerPlay looks good."
"A good idea to liven golf up a bit."
Those who can't see the point of it:
"It was painful viewing to be honest. I don't understand why golf needs it. Record crowds at PGA, etc."
"I just don't see the need for it. If they want something TV friendly I think a short game shoot out or pro/celebrity works."
"Think (the) media should've been at Walton Heath for US Open qualifiers, not worrying about gimmicks."
"I am sorry to the creators but I just don't see the point of PowerPlay!"
"Absolutely pointless. The players looked about as bothered as the fans ... enough golf on TV without this garbage."
And those who are open to innovation but would tweak Ignition:
"Not faster paced or more exciting - you just get a winner sooner. Scoring quite hard to follow to appreciate key shots. Matchplay more exciting, I'd say."
"Too much like normal golf tournaments. Afraid they missed some tricks to liven the whole concept up! Still too slow."
"TV presentation of the event needs to create excitement value."
"Interesting and enjoyable as a golf fan. But presentation on TV lacked excitement to attract non-golfers."
"Commentators desperately trying to make it much more exciting than it came across, at least in initial holes. I enjoyed it but not quite Twenty20 for golf."
What happens next
PowerPlay: Ignition will have a North American and then Asian event, with seven similar event planned for 2012. There has been plenty of feedback - we await the response.
