World of Golf: Pádraig Harrington weighs in behind R&A’s nine-hole format

Pádraig Harrington has endorsed the R&A’s decision to embrace nine-hole golf as a “legitimate alternative” to the 18-hole format in today’s time-pressured world.

Golf’s governing body for the game outside North America last week announced an inaugural amateur competition to be played on July 9 at Royal Troon, which will host the 145th Open Championship on the same course five days later.

The aim is to support nine-hole golf as “an ideal way to play golf in less time whilst still doing so competitively and for handicap purposes”.