Trying To Makes Sense Of The Volvo Match Play

Okay, I tried to read the format description of this week's 24-player Volvo World Match Play Championship's eight groups of three, round robin format. After my third try, I've given up. Anyone care to help this blogger?

Round robin group matches will be played on Thursday and Friday with players grouped according to their Official World Golf Ranking as of the Monday of the Championship. The three players in each group will play each other once. Players will be awarded two points for a win and no points for a loss. If a match is tied after 18 holes each player shall receive one point.

The top two players in each group will progress to the knock-out stages. Should, after all matches have been played, two or more players are tied on points the following criteria will be used to determine the order:

   i) Where two players are tied within a group (in any position within the group) then their specific head to head match result will be used to identify which player is placed higher

   ii) If two or more players are still tied then those players will compete in a hole-by-hole play-off.

   iii) If all three players win one match in their respective group then all three players shall play-off.

The knock out stage will consist of the last 16 and quarter-finals, played on Saturday, and semi-finals and final, played on Sunday. All matches will be over 18 holes.  There will be no third and fourth place play-off on Sunday.

Here's the day one roundup, which I'd like to get excited about since golf needs fresh formats. Especially a creative use of match play. But so far this one is just not doing it for me.