According to Mark Schlabach of ESPN on Wednesday, the PGA Tour has cancelled the World Matchplay Golf Championships in 2024. The tournament has taken place annually since 1999. The locations have been La Costa, California, Melbourne, Australia, Tucson, Arizona, San Francisco, California, and over the last eight years (except for 2020 because of coronavirus) in Austin, Texas.
One reason why the tournament does not seem to work is its length. The World Matchplay Golf Championships lasts five full days, with golfers having to play 36 holes on Saturday and Sunday in order to win the tournament. It quite simply is a marathon, and events that are taking a long time to play are falling out of favour in the entire sports landscape, not just golf. The Desert Classic in La Quinta, California, in California’s Palm Springs region was a five-day event up until 2012.
Americans have dominated the World Matchplay Championships in recent years. An American has won the last six titles. Two-time major champion Dustin Johnson of Columbia, South Carolina (2016 United States Open and 2020 Masters), beat Spain’s Jon Rahm 1 up in 2017, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson of Bagdad, Florida (2012 and 2014) beat American Kevin Kisner 7&6 in 2018, Kisner of Aiken, South Carolina beat American Matt Kuchar 3&2 in 2019, Billy Horschel of Grant, Florida beat American Scottie Scheffler 2&1 in 2021, Scheffler of Ridgewood. New Jersey, the 2022 Masters champion, beat Kisner 4&3 in 2022, and Sam Burns of Shreveport, Louisiana beat American Cameron Young in 2023.
Three golfers have won multiple World Golf Matchplay Championships over the years. Tiger Woods, the 15-time major champion, won in 2003, 2004, and 2008. Geoff Ogilvy of Adelaide, Australia, the 2006 United States Open champion in 2006, won in 2006 and 2009. Jason Day of Beaudesert, Australia, the 2015 PGA Championship winner, won in 2014 and 2016.
