Tuesday Reminder: European Tour's 8-Man, 1-Hour, Under The Lights Match Play

European Tour Chief Keith Pelley's efforts to inject lighter, faster, edgier formats have been met with skepticism (Ewan Murray here on another Pelley concept coming early next year).

I defended Pelley today on Morning Drive, because while some of these initiatives may fail, we should welcome attempts to liven up a sport addicted to 72-hole stroke play.

One of his first big efforts debuts Tuesday at the British Masters (2:30 pm ET live on Golf Channel), as a one-hour, 8-man, under-the-lights match play event is unveiled at The Grove. The field includes Alex Noren, a two-time winner on the European Tour in 2016, US Open runner-up Shane Lowry, tournament host Luke Donald, Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston, Andy Sullivan, Bernd Wiesberger, Alex Levy and Jeev Milkha Singh.

Here is the setup:

The participants will showcase their skills on The Grove’s 18th hole, which will be turned into a specially constructed par three hole under the lights.

For the professionals, the winners from the four opening round matches will progress through to two semi-finals with the subsequent two winners contesting a final head-to-head match to decide the Hero Challenge champion. If the two opponents halve the hole, the outcome of that contest will be decided by the tee shot which was nearest to the pin.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: “It is vital that golf introduces shorter formats to appeal to new audiences and this one-hole straight knockout contest will provide fast-paced entertainment, whilst showcasing the considerable skill of our players."