Ian Poulter thinks the Olympic golf format should be match play

Golf will be making its glorious return to the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Games after a staggering 112-year absence. But even though that moment is four years from coming to fruition, Ian Poulter is already assuming the role of an Olympic organizer and expressing ideas for what he thinks would be in the sport’s best interest.

The current plan for Brazil is to use a 72-hole stroke-play tournament format, similar to what we see almost every week on the professional tours. But Poulter thinks the Olympics should abandon uniformity and go for entertainment value by utilizing match play.

“Most other sports are one-on-one,” the Englishman told The Telegraph. “And that’s why I think viewers enjoy match play more. It’s more exciting and plays out better on TV. I think match play would suit the Olympics better.”

In fact, Poulter wouldn’t be upset if match play started popping up more frequently on the calendar.

“How about every week?” Poulter added. “The more we play, the better. I love the cutthroat, face-to-face nature of it and find the buzz a refreshing change from what we play week-in and week-out.”

Pretty bold idea from a guy with a pretty bold sense of style in his own right.

But, ultimately, people aren’t going to care what format in which golf is played during the Olympics, so long as stars like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy are on the course. And, yes, we too crack a smile at idea of Tiger possibly hanging out at Rio.

Note: This post also appeared on Yardbarker’s Olympics blog Medal Detector.

Photo credit: Simon Stacpoole/Offside Sports via US PRESSWIRE