The Ryder Cup captivates millions with nail-biting match play drama. The Presidents Cup does the same. Yet the PGA Tour scrapped its individual match play event in 2023, and players are now calling for its return. The event in question is the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.

 This event disappeared from the calendar after Commissioner Jay Monahan cited scheduling challenges and the end of Dell’s sponsorship. The decision eliminated a $20 million event that fans loved and players cherished. Now, with potential leadership changes on the horizon, pros like Byeong Hun An are making their voices heard about what they want to see return.

Byeong Hun An fired up a casual Q&A session on X this week. When a follower asked if he supports bringing back the Match Play event, An’s response cut through the noise. “Yes” — Byeong Hun An on X. That simple one-word answer on November 14, 2025, captured what many players have been thinking since Monahan pulled the plug. He isn’t alone in his frustration.

Rory McIlroy has repeatedly praised the drama and excitement of match play, expressing hope for its return. McIlroy noted that the challenge and thrill of facing opponents head-to-head is missing from most PGA Tour events. Max Homa and Collin Morikawa have expressed similar nostalgia for its drama and uniqueness.

The discontinuation sparked immediate backlash from fans and players who criticized the Tour’s decision to eliminate one of golf’s most popular formats. Monahan’s official reasons centered on three factors: scheduling constraints from the new Designated Events Model, Dell’s expired contract, and Austin Country Club’s decision not to extend its hosting duties. He emphasized the format’s long legacy but didn’t rule out a future return.

The financial loss stings. The 2023 event featured a total purse of $20 million, with the winner receiving $3.5 million and the runner-up taking home $2.2 million. Sam Burns defeated Cameron Young 6 & 5 in the final, collecting that winner’s check. But here’s the twist—some top players actually favored discontinuation. They cited early elimination risks for big names and the lack of guaranteed TV time for star players, which diminished sponsor interest.

The Player Advisory Council even rejected proposed format changes from Dell, highlighting deep division on the issue. TV ratings proved inconsistent, with finals featuring lesser-known players seeing notable audience drops. Yet, the PGA Tour’s overall ratings increased in 2025, suggesting that the problem wasn’t match play itself, but rather how it was positioned.

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Why the Match Play format creates drama, stroke play cannot match

Match play operates on fundamentally different principles from stroke play. Players compete hole-by-hole rather than counting total strokes. Win a hole by taking fewer strokes than your opponent, and you go “1 up.” Tie a hole, and it’s “halved” with no advantage gained. The match ends when one player leads by more holes than remain to be played—a 3-up lead with only two holes left finishes the competition immediately.

This creates psychological warfare that stroke play never delivers. Players concede short putts to control pace. They take aggressive lines, knowing one bad hole won’t ruin their tournament. Strategic decisions are made in real-time based on match status, rather than leaderboard position.

The format thrives in team competitions. Both the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup regularly draw among the highest global golf audiences, conducted entirely in match play through singles, foursomes, and four-ball formats. Amateur golf also embraces it, with USGA events showing strong participation rates at the club level. Yet professional individual match play disappeared from the PGA Tour.

That’s the irony. Team match play captivates millions internationally. Amateur golfers play it regularly. But the Tour abandoned the format that connects professional golf to its roots. Even the PGA Championship switched from match play to stroke play in 1958 due to TV pressures and sponsor interests—a decision some still debate today.

With Jay Monahan remaining as Commissioner through late 2025 and no official announcement of leadership changes, An’s public support represents a critical moment. The question isn’t whether match play belongs in professional golf—the Ryder Cup answers that emphatically. The question is whether Tour leadership will listen to players like An and restore a format that delivers drama, a stroke play cannot match. What’s your take—should the PGA Tour bring back Match Play, or was the decision to eliminate it justified? Let us know in the comments below.