Q&A: Major Series of Putting's Marketing Head On The Fun New Tourney

The Major Series of Putting looks to be the biggest putting tournament we will ever see. The Head of Marketing for the MSOP gives us a little insight on the inagural event.

The Major Series of Putting is a tournament where only the flatstick is used. This huge event will take place in Las Vegas this March, and although anybody can participate, it will also feature celebrities, including Brad Faxon, one of the greatest putters of all-time.

It will also be featured in a beautiful small stadium, on a Nicklaus Design course.

I had the chance to ask Mathieu Depatie, Head of Marketing for the MSOP, some questions about this exciting new event. You can read the full Q&A below.

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Colin Mieczkowski: How did you guys come up with the idea for the MSOP? It’s brilliant and long overdue.

Mathieu Depatie: Our President and GM, Guillaume Beland had the idea after playing at Oakmont a couple of years ago. His golf game went pretty bad but he got into a putting tournament after dinner against some of the members and won it. So the idea came out there: Putting levels the playing field for all types of golfers and allows everybody to have an almost equal chance of victory.

Colin: The main championship will take place in Las Vegas, a major golf destination in America. Will all events take place in Vegas or will they be scattered around the country?

Mathieu: The 2017 Championships will take place in LV but we are organizing qualifying events across North America, From Halifax to Vancouver, and from Florida to California. You can see the list of active qualifiers here and more will be announced soon, specifically in the southwest part of USA (CA, AZ, NV, TX).

Colin: Who are some of the notable players participating and who can take part?

Mathieu: We have Brad Faxon as a consultant and he will definitively play in our main event. We are now working on adding more ambassador-type players and will announce the final line-up as we get closer to the event. The beauty of MSOP is that it’s open to all golfers! We expect mostly amateur golfers to participate in the early years while professional golfers will surely gravitate towards MSOP and its lucrative prize purses.

Colin: What’s the prize for winning or finishing runner-up in the MSOP?

Mathieu: The purse structures are variable depending on the number of players registered for each tournament. You can find each of them here and by clicking on the fact sheet on each tournament to get all the details. But, as an example, the ALL PRO CHAMPIONSHIP has an entry fee of $2,000 and somewhere between 20% and 23% of the field will receive a purse.

Colin: What are some of the formats that players and fans can enjoy?

Mathieu: The event will offer a wide variety of putting tournaments including singles and team events in stroke play and match play with exclusive events for women, amateurs and professional golfers.

Colin: Do you see the MSOP as a way to get more putters into people’s hands? To enjoy, and appreciate the game in simple, yet fun way?

Mathieu: Of course! Putting is the most accessible part of the game. It’s also the one that requires the least degree of specialized technique compared to driving or chipping. MSOP is setting the stage for golfers from all walks of life to experience the intensity and excitement you’ll only reach when you sink that final putt for the win. We truly feel everyone has a shot at glory! All that is needed is a putter, a ball, skills and ice in the veins! We hope to show golfers that putting is fun, exciting and potentially lucrative and hope they will be encouraged to practice this discipline which is often overlooked by amateur golfers.

Colin: The course is designed by the great Jack Nicklaus. What does it mean for you to have your putting course designed by one of the game’s all-time greats?

Mathieu: In fact, the course is designed by his firm Nicklaus Design (Not Jack Nicklaus, himself). We are ensuring credibility amongst golfers by delivering a high quality course that has the perfect blend of challenge and excitement. Even for Nicklaus Design, designing the official 18-hole putting course for MSOP presented unique challenges and opportunities since it’s the first artificial 18-hole course they have designed strictly for putting. They are going to build a unique design concept within a stadium setting – something definitely never seen before!

Colin: Do you guys plan on making the Major Series of Putting a yearly event?

Mathieu: Yes, definitively! We have plans to expand the network of qualifiers in 2017/2018 and present the annual MSOP Championships for many years to come!

Colin: Fun question: We see amazing three point shots in basketball, goals in hockey, long home runs in baseball, etc. But, where do you rank putting as one of the best skills in all of sports?

Mathieu: Almost all the great moments in golf history happened on the green. Just this year, in the playoff at the FedEx Cup, Rory McIlroy had a 12-footer worth $11.5 million! And we all know he made it and can remember his reaction. We barely remember everything he had to go through to get there! Another cool example is the Heckler story at the Ryder Cup. This is exactly what MSOP is about… a regular golfer making a putt at a given moment that even good pros couldn’t! And getting a crowd reaction that is usually reserved for stars! We strongly feel that, through our competition, we’ll offer the exact same opportunity and setting to golfers from all walks of life!

Colin: Finally, how can fans and future participants find out more information about your awesome tournament?

Mathieu: The best way is to visit msop.com/2017. They will be able to see a 3D rendering of the stadium, the schedule, the qualifier network and even register directly if they want to. There are three ways for participants to get involved: Register directly for the MSOP championships, try to qualify for the championships or host a qualifier at their club to qualify someone for the championships

Next: PGA Championship Moving to May in 2020?

What are your thoughts on the Major Series of Putting? Will you be watching or attending? Let us know in the comments section or hit me up on Twitter @ChiGolfRadio.

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Q&A: Major Series of Putting’s Marketing Leader on the fun new tournament

By Colin Mieczkowski | Nov 14, 2016

The Major Series of Putting looks to be the biggest putting tournament we will ever see. The Head of Marketing for the MSOP gives us a little insight on the inagural event.