Inside the World Super 6 Perth

Inside the World Super 6 Perth

The European Tour are doing their best to introduce new innovative formats to the game, and this week’s ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth tournament is setting the benchmark as the first of two completely new events to debut on the European Tour circuit this year.

Combining both stroke play and match play, the unconventional format at Lake Karrinyup CC is sure to draw attention given the European Tour’s recent announcement to add a six-hole team competition to their roster in May. 

The Format

The first three days of play will be standard regulation stroke play, with a normal cut after 36 holes to include the top 65 players and ties, followed by a further cut to 24 players after the completion of Saturday’s play.

The major incentive comes for those who secure their place in the top eight of those 24, as they will earn automatic qualification to the second round of the six-hole shootout of Sunday’s match play.

Any matches tied after their shootout will then be decided in a hole-by-hole play-off, after which the winners will then progress in to the next round. 

If you have any other questions, you’ll find all the FAQ’s on the European Tour’s website. 

The Course

This isn’t the first time that a European Tour event has taken place at Lake Karrinyup CC, and in addition to once featuring events such as the Australian Open and Johnnie Walker Classic, the ISPS HANDA Perth International has held its residency there during four of the last five years.

Known for its undulating hills and natural sand bunkers, the course lends itself more favourably to those players that like to hit a draw thanks to the many right-to-left dog-legs that occupy the course.

In addition to a difficult layout, players will have to contend with the wind while simultaneously trying to miss the kangaroos who roam freely on the course. To reach the Sunday match play component of this tournament players will benefit from a strong putting performance, as statistics show that there are more three putts than on many other European Tour venues.

The Field

Alex Noren is the best seeded player in the field at 11 in the World Rankings, and last year’s four-time European Tour winner is embracing the new format.

Speaking to the European Tour, Noren said “I think everything where the crowd experiences a new way for us pros to play the game is good.”

“I like match play, I like stroke play and I think we can do a lot of fun things around the tournaments like this.”

The last two Lake Karrinyup CC champions may have an upper hand in terms of course knowledge, and the 2016 and 2014 ISPS HANDA Perth International winners Louis Oosthuizen and ThorBjorn Olesen will tee it up together on Thursday morning. 

Also in the field is Peter Uihlein, who comes in to the tournament with two top 10s in his last four events, and is the only player to have carded 100 birdies or more this season.