Golf news: New IPL-inspired teams event to shake up world golf

First came LIV Golf, now a new IPL-inspired teams event is set to rock the golfing world with Cameron Smith among the biggest names tipped to lead a new event in 2023.

Australia is set to be the launching pad for golf's latest revolution.

Australia is set to be the launching pad for golf’s latest revolution as tour officials prepare to rubberstamp a T20-style tournament featuring some of the world’s best players.

News Corp can reveal Australian Tour officials have been locked in talks with key players behind the Ultra Golf Championship, a unique short-form team tournament played over nine holes and designed to turbocharge the sport.

The format is the brainchild of Deke Smith, who spent five years road-testing the concept before partnering with the PGA Tour of Australasia.

The plan is to debut the format next year and Smith has ambitious plans to turn it into a global series of events featuring some of the biggest names in golf.

Talks are already well advanced with high-profile players to captain the respective teams locked in for the inaugural event — Bangkok, Delhi, Dubai, London, Los Angeles, New York, Melbourne, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo.

Several of the world’s top 10 players could be approached to be potential team captains including Australia’s world No. 3 Cameron Smith, USA’s world No. 2 Scottie Scheffler and No. 7 Will Zalatoris, Norway’s world No. 9 Victor Hovland, England’s world No. 10 Matt Fitzpatrick and Japan’s world No. 20 Hideki Matsuyama.

Australia is set to be the launching pad for golf's latest innovation – a unique short-form team tournament played over nine holes.

“We have the financial backing,” Smith told News Corp.

“We have some really high net worth (individuals) behind it. We are already in heads of agreement with five or six really key players from around the world.

“The quality of players is unreal. I feel like we are 70 per cent of the way with the captains already. I am looking forward to when we announce the captains because everyone will stand up and go, ‘wow, this is real’.

“Again, the feedback from these guys has been amazing. They love it, they see it is different. People around the world have seen what has happened with cricket and that short form game. To be perfectly honest, we have modelled it off IPL.

“That business is incredible out of India, the way they have done that. It is a global product. Yes, it is built out of Australia but there is no reason we can’t run a tournament in New York.”

World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler could lead the New York team.

The format features a unique scoring system designed to reward risk-taking, tactical acumen and unpredictability. A hole in one is worth 10 points. An albatross is worth eight points. Eagles are rewarded with six points.

Points are awarded at four feature holes designated for the longest drive, a powerplay, alternate-shot and best-ball systems.

The 10 teams are divided into pools of five with 60 matches to be played over three days. The two pool winners then meet in the final. The priority is to pack as much excitement into every day and every hole.

“We do get a lot of ideas put to us and no doubt there have been some good ones over the years as well as a lot of average ones,” PGA Tour of Australasia tournaments director Nick Dastey said.

“It has to be something that is different and exciting for us to grab it and want to work with it. This one, particularly once you have enjoyed playing it and playing it with some good people, really strikes you as something you are going to enjoy and the spectator will enjoy.

“It is very rare for a match not to be able to swing one way or the other on the eighth or ninth hole. The thought of seeing high-level players playing it on TV is something any golfer or golf fan will love.

“We have all played it against Deke. We have seen massive swings in momentum from one or two shots.

“We have seen teams looking down and out on the eighth but they still have their powerplay, have a big final hole and win the match.”

Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama will be targeted to lead the Tokyo team.

Smith is dreaming big. His background is in sales and sponsorship but golf has become his passion. He didn’t grow up with golf.

He only started playing the sport five years ago but his concept is set for take-off at a time when golf is driven by conflict thanks to Greg Norman, Saudi-backed LIV golf and the bitter war with the US PGA Tour.

Remarkably, another Australian may yet be the inspiration behind an idea that shakes up the sport, albeit in a positive way.

“Why not revolutionise it?” Smith said.

“Why not have a real positive impact on the sport? I never grew up with golf. I would love to get more kids playing the game but in a fun and exciting way.

“Hopefully we can provide an avenue for that with this format. We love a contest — we love seeing a result. With golf you don’t really get a result until the 72nd hole after four days, which is a bloody long period.

“I thought how do we shorten this down not too dissimilar with what cricket has done with the Big Bash. How do we keep people engaged? How do we keep them there?

“How do we get the younger audience fixated on this sport that I love and am passionate about? That is where it all started.

“This whole thing centred back to one thing the whole time -— what does the fan want? What is going to get them excited? I am just a general punter but you know what, all ideas need to start somewhere.

“If I am the general punter that can help and assist and have a positive impact on a game I love, well good on me.”