Is the PGA Tour becoming innovative again?

On Saturday, the Reno (Nevada) Gazette-Journal ran an article indicating that the Biggest Little City In The World's hometown professional golf tournament would be undergoing a format change, effective next year. The event, which has traditionally been played opposite a bigger PGA Tour event--meaning there is little TV viewer interest and a weaker field--has long been just another regular-old PGA Tour event: 72 holes, played Thursday to Sunday, 36 hole cut to the low 70 players and ties after the second round, yadda yadda yadda. But starting next year, the Reno-Tahoe Open will be played under a Modified Stableford scoring system.

Stableford scoring, used sometimes in random club events, assigns a number of points per score on a hole. The way it will be done at Montreux Golf Club starting next year, a double-eagle will earn a player eight points, an eagle will garner five, a birdie will add two points, a par will be zero points, a bogey will subtract one, and a double bogey or worse will subtract three. This means that, for a change, the highest score will win the event.

Aside from the intrinsic good of a change of pace, this Modified Stableford scoring system will encourage aggressive play and late-tournament drama. Those who have been watching professional golf on television for a while will remember that this is not the first time a PGA Tour event has used this format. From 1986 until 2006, the Tour played an event called The International under this format at Castle Pines Country Club in Castle Rock, Colorado. And in 2002, the end of the tournament was as dramatic as any I have ever seen. Rich Beem, who would go on to win the PGA Championship a few weeks later, eagled the 17th hole of the final round and appeared to have the tournament won. But 1994 International champion Steve Lowery eagled the 15th hole and then double-eagled the 17th, only to miss a 10-foot birdie putt on his final hole to lose by a point.

This finish really showed the excitement of Modified Stableford in two ways. First, Lowery would never have been able to close such a large gap if not for the extra points he earned from his eagle and double-eagle. And second, the format created a situation where Lowery had a win-or-lose putt on the final hole. In stroke play, it can either be the case that a make-or-miss turns into a win-or-tie or tie-or-lose situation. But because of the Stableford format, Lowery's putt was charged with as much pressure and excitement as I have ever witnessed, outside of major championships.

With history and innovation on its side, here's hoping that Stableford sticks around in Reno for a while.