SIX holes doesn’t provide much time to make a statement in golf. Some matches at the ISPS HANDA World Super 6 Perth will even last as few as four holes, shortening the exercise even further. Which is why the concluding stages of the tournament will become a battle between the sharpest players, those who can quickly make an impact in the short-form version of matchplay.
The arena itself will be important and for players who competed last February, there’s been a tweak to the sequence of holes organisers have chosen for this year’s matches. Essentially holes 10 to 14 plus the 18th, the playing order is different this year to add some spice to the contests.
Players seeing final-day action will begin their matches on the downhill par-4 10th hole before progressing to the uphill 11th. From there play moves to the par-4 13th, the short par-4 14th, the par-3 12th and onto the par-4 last.
It’s an intriguing mix of distance and diversity. There’s just one par-5 and one short hole, but the four par 4s blend length (13 and 18) with shorter two-shotters designed to lure (10 and 14). Given that every match will take in both the 10th and 14th, how players choose to navigate those two assignments might provide the key to several head-to-head duels.
Of course, the pivotal space will be the ‘Shootout hole’, the makeshift 80 to 90-metre hole using a temporary tee and playing to the 18th green. That’s where matches tied after six holes will be decided, with players returning as many times as necessary to separate the deadlock. It stands to reason that practising wedge shots of that distance should be a top priority for the Sunday field at Lake Karrinyup.
