European Tour to introduce six-hole golf

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  • July 24, 2016

In an effort to keep with the times, the European Tour is strongly considering introducing a new format to the centuries old game.

Tour chief executive Keith Pelley hopes the introduction of a new format will encourage more youth to join the sport and prevent slow play. He also brought up the issure of uur dwindling attention spans.

"Let's be honest – and scientific data proves this – attention spans are decreasing as opposed to increasing and it's completely different when the choice people have to consume content now is so different than it was 35-40 years ago," Pelley told BBC Radio.

"So you have to change, people's time is so precious that golf – I think every golf course being built needs to be six holes, six holes, six holes – so that people can go at the beginning before they go to work.

"From our perspective, as the gatekeepers of the professional game, we are looking to create a format that would be six holes. That could be an hour, an hour-and-a-half content programme…which would be very entertaining."

Pelley revealed that aspects such as a shot clock, music and a change of fashion could be added.

"Yes, there would be a shot clock, yes there would be music being played, and PA announcements, and players would be dressed a little differently, and maybe they would only play with five or seven clubs," he added.

"So you could probably see England playing Scotland in a six-hole matchplay with time clocks and music and so forth going on and it would be an aspirational goal to be even remotely as successful as Twenty20 cricket.

"If you're not prepared to change, if you're not prepared to be innovative, if you're not prepared to take chances, then I do believe that the sports that aren't will fall behind."

Pelley added that the format could be included as early as next year. 

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