Golfsixes To Have Mixed Teams For First Time

Male and female professional golfers will play together in a competitive match play format for the first time when GolfSixes returns to the European Tour schedule in May.

European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjørn and Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew will join forces in a world first when they form the ‘Captains Team’ in the second staging of the tournament at the Centurion Club in St Albans, England, from 5^th – 6^th May 2018.

The ‘Captains Team’ is one of four wild card selections introduced to this year’s event, with two of the other three being; an England women’s team comprising Georgia Hall and Charley Hull; and a European women’s team featuring England’s Mel Reid and Suzann Pettersen of Norway, all of whom will join defending champions Denmark, represented again by last year’s winners Lucas Bjerregaard and Thorbjørn Olesen.

Keith Pelley, chief executive of the European Tour, said: “GolfSixes is something that we championed last year to do something a little different, not just in terms of a different format, but also to bring a different form of entertainment from a golf perspective.

“There was a lot of talk about what we were going to do differently this year while remaining credible but entertaining, and today’s announcement is the result of those discussions. It’s a natural progression and I think the potential for GolfSixes in terms of the overall brand and format is terrific.

“The concept of Thomas and Catriona playing together is a wonderful idea and then to be able to add in four of Europe’s leading women players in Georgia, Charley, Mel and Suzann is fantastic and will make for a great event. We thank both the LET and the LPGA for helping make this happen.”

Catriona Matthew said: “I was delighted when Thomas asked me to play GolfSixes. I had to move my schedule around a little bit but the moment I heard about the chance to play, I definitely wanted to be part of it.

“The fact it is something different for golf is great – in terms of the round robin match play format then head to head matches, in addition to the men and women playing together of course. All Tours are trying to think of ways to make golf different and encourage a new and younger audience and so I think this whole concept is very exciting.

“I was playing in a tournament last year but I watched some of the inaugural GolfSixes on the television and read a bit about it and I always thought it was a good idea. Obviously, the matches are much quicker and match play itself tends to be exciting so it’s a good mix.”

Thomas Bjørn said: “I am really excited about playing GolfSixes. There are so many 72-hole tournaments around the world that there has to be room for something else which puts a different spin on golf and brings more interest.

“This is not your normal golf tournament where everyone is very serious and has their heads down. This is completely different, it’s more about having fun and portraying the game in a good way.

“I think it’s hugely important to also try and break down the barriers that have existed in golf between the men’s and women’s games. When this opportunity arose to play as Ryder Cup Captain, I thought it was only right to speak to Catriona as the Solheim Cup Captain about forming a team, and we’re both really looking forward to it.

“It also sends the right message to our players too, that we’re European Captains and being a European Captain of any team is not just about your own Tour and your own players – it’s about representing everything about this great continent of ours.”