European Tour Power Rankings: ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth

A unique format is sweeping the European Tour this week at the ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth

The World Super Perth 6 introduces a new tourney format this week on the oft-innovative European Tour. The inaugural Perth event kicks off Thursday in Australia.

The action at Lake Karrinyup Country Club will feel like any other Tour event through Friday. Sixty-five players and ties advance from a 36-hole cut cut.

Then it gets a little wacky.

A secondary cut after 54 holes reduces the field further to 24 players. A sudden-death playoff is used to break any ties at that point.

These 24 then advance to the final round’s five six-hole match play knockout rounds.

I’m now going to phone a friend to the ISPS Handa Super 6 Perth’s FAQ section to provide the rest of the details:

“Once the 24 players have been decided, the leading 8 players from that 24 are seeded into the second round of the match play. The remaining 16 players are split into 8 matches of 2 players and they play the first round of match play. Thus, 8 players will get knocked out of the tournament in the first round of the match play. Then, the 8 winners in the first round of match play will be paired against the 8 seeded players meaning the second round of match play will also have 8 matches of 2 players. From that point onward, each round of match play has half the number of players as the previous round until a winner is decided.”

The six holes feature three par-fours, two par-threes and a par-five.

Any sudden-death playoffs will be waged at the “Shootout hole”.

What’s the Shootout hole you ask?

It’s a 90-meter (98.4-yard) hole constructed specifically for the event. It uses a new tee positioned near the 18th fairway hitting to the 18th green. Sudden-death playoffs continue at this hole until one advances.

Formerly known as the ISPS Handa Perth International, this tournament offers a break from 72-hole stroke play monotony. On the other hand, it throws a wrench into the already tough task of prognosticating a golf tournament.

Skills that would appear handy for success this week: a solid match play history, ability to hold up under pressure and a light attitude to embrace the quirks of this week’s event. There’s no way around it – this week’s field isn’t an all-star cast. If the week goes on without a hitch, more big names might be geared toward playing in alternative events like this down the road.

World No. 10 Patrick Reed was announced in the field in November. He has since pulled out with a respiratory infection, though he did appearat last week’s Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour where he tied for 23rd place.

“It was a tournament I was very excited to be playing in. The format had captured my imagination and I was looking forward to the match play component,” Reed said in a statement. “Withdrawing from the event is not a decision I made lightly. I have done everything I can to make the trip possible, but my health and the advice of doctors is not something I can overlook.”

Let’s take a look at five players in the field who could be a Perth-fect fit to walk off with the trophy on Sunday.