PGA Tour to End Season With Match-Play Event
Listen to the story
The PGA Tour has announced a major change to its postseason. In the future, the season will end with a match-play event instead of the current format.
Match-play is a style of golf where two players compete directly against each other, hole by hole. This is different from stroke play, where players compete against the whole field by counting their total number of shots.
The change is part of a new plan called the PGA TOUR Championship Series. This is the name for the group of tournaments that will close out the season.
According to the tour, this is a dramatic overhaul of the playoff system. An overhaul means a complete change in how something is organized, rather than a small adjustment.
The current playoff system uses stroke play across several events to decide the season champion. The new structure will finish differently, with a match-play event as the final stage.
This change could bring more excitement to the end of the season, since match-play often creates direct, dramatic contests between two golfers at a time.
The PGA Tour has not yet released all the details about how the new postseason will work. However, it has confirmed the important fact that match-play will decide the champion at the end.
Fans and players are now waiting to learn more about the format, including how golfers will qualify for this final match-play event.
Vocabulary10 words
- postseason
- the events at the end of a sports season
- match-play
- a golf format where two players play directly against each other
- stroke play
- a golf format where players compete by counting total shots
- PGA TOUR Championship Series
- the name of the group of final events in the season
- overhaul
- a complete change to how something works
- structure
- the way something is planned or organized
- format
- the way an event or competition is arranged
- tournament
- a competition with several games or rounds
- qualify
- to earn the right to take part in something
- contest
- a competition between people
Quiz
Answer key
1. A match-play event 2. Match-play involves two players competing directly 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
The PGA Tour has announced a major change to its _____.
In the future, the season will end with a _____ event instead of the current format.
Match-play is a style of golf where two players compete directly against each other, hole by _____.
This is different from stroke play, where players compete against the whole field by counting total _____.
The change is part of a new plan called the PGA TOUR Championship _____.
According to the tour, this is a dramatic _____ of the playoff system.
The current playoff system uses stroke play across several events to decide the season _____.
The new structure will finish differently, with a match-play event as the final _____.
The PGA Tour has not yet released all the details about how the new postseason will _____.
Fans and players are now waiting to learn more about the _____.
Discussion questions
- Do you think match-play is more exciting than stroke play? Why or why not?
- How might this change affect the way golfers prepare for the end of the season?
- What questions would you ask the PGA Tour about the new format?
- Would you like to watch a match-play final more than a stroke-play final? Explain your answer.