End Of The WGC But Monahan Hints Match Play Event May Return

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan says a match play event may return in the future after confirming the end of the WGC event in Austin

WGC Match Play trophy and Jay Monahan
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Paul Higham
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The era of the World Golf Championships could well be over after the final WGC Match Play this month, but PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan hinted that a match play event could return to the schedule at some point.

It was announced this week that the WGC-Match Play would take place for the final time later this month, with tournament director Jordan Uppleger confirming the news at Austin County Club.

“We’re formally announcing today that the 2023 World Golf Championship Dell Technologies Match Play will be the final playing of the event here at Austin Country Club, and not be included on the 2024 calendar or moving forward,” Uppleger said.

Monahan then added some context around the decision, saying that the event just did not fit into the 2024 schedule, which is set for a huge upheaval with the upcoming changes to the elevated events.

The 12th hole at Austin Country Club during the 2021 WGS-Match Play

(Image credit: Getty Images)

At what was an eventful press conference at TPC Sawgrass ahead of the Players Championship, Monahan hinted that they could consider a match play event returning at some point.

"I think for right now, for next season's schedule, it didn't work," Monahan said. "But match play has been a staple out here. It's been a staple on the DP World Tour. I think that will certainly be a consideration as we go forward."

While the WGC-HSBC Champions in China is still technically in existence, that event hasn’t been staged the last three years due to Covid and Monahan added: "It's difficult to foresee when we would play."

And the future of the WGCs looks bleak as those events were of a similar format to the new designated events on the PGA Tour, with smaller select field and no cut, and those are the focus for the PGA Tour right now.

"I would never say anything has run its course," Monahan said, "but I think right now, you see the direction the PGA Tour's heading in; it is with these designated events, it's with the concentration of the best players on the PGA Tour competing in them, and I really don't expect that to change as we go forward."

Paul Higham
Paul Higham
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Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush. 

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