Monday 17 October 2016 16:01, UK
Another week of innovation at the British Masters supported by Sky Sports kicked off with the inaugural, floodlit Hero Challenge, and presenter Sarah Stirk has been reflecting on the successes of events at The Grove ...
I was really excited about the prospect of presenting something as innovative as the Hero Challenge. Everybody who has a passion for golf agrees that we need to look at new formats, and anything that can attract a new audience.
There will always be a place for 72-hole stroke play tournaments obviously, but it can be a problem having so much golf throughout the year, and the vast majority of it is four-round events.
That's one of the reasons why the Ryder Cup is such a massively popular event worldwide. There's always a big build-up every two years, and it's a rare chance to see the best players in the world going head-to-head in a match play format.
If we had too many match play events on the schedule, the Ryder Cup would lose a certain amount of appeal, but these newer, shorter formats are something a bit different, and events like the Hero Challenge are fantastic for the game.
It's not just the fans who enjoyed it, the response from the players was just as positive and enthusiastic. When I spoke to Andy Sullivan at the Sky Cart, he was telling me how all the players were really keen to get involved.
The overall reaction from the players and the fans, those who were there and those watching at home, was overwhelmingly positive, and it just shows how these new formats are much needed.
What I loved most about it was how simple the format was. Straight knockout, short and sharp, and being under floodlights just added to the atmosphere of the occasion.
We've seen other quirky events in the past where you've had two flags on the green, targets painted on the grass and various other ideas, but it doesn't need to be complicated to be entertaining. It needs to be quick, it needs to be dynamic.
The Hero Challenge was simple, quick and dynamic, and that really resonated with the fans. The crowds were amazing on Tuesday night at The Grove, and there were some who were unable to get in purely because the numbers were over double what had been expected.
Having the celebrity challenge was also a huge factor in the success of getting the reach out there. Piers Morgan was booed all the way, although that turned to cheers when he shanked his second! But he embraced the event and he was great all evening, happy to play the "pantomime villain" role!
Piers, KP, Shane Warne and Brian McFadden all enjoyed themselves and they were all tweeting about it afterwards, which prompted their celebrity friends to follow suit, and this took the social media reach to incredible levels.
As for the pros, they were genuinely nervous on the tee at the start. They were out of their comfort zone, but it didn't take long for them to relax and enjoy the occasion. Once we got going, it was also nice to see their characters come out as well.
I really hope we see more of this type of crowd-pleasing event going forward. European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley is very forward-thinking and he was delighted with how the evening - and the whole tournament - was received by players and fans alike.
He is fully aware of the need to shake things up a bit and come up with ways to attract a new audience, and Keith will be looking to build on the successful innovations we've seen at the British Masters over the last two years.
All the innovations in the coverage have been brilliant at The Grove. From the Cart Cam that really impressed G-Mac, to the new graphics and data, and the advances in the virtual reality features, it all adds up to a more entertaining and informative event for the viewers.
Sky Sports are constantly pushing the boundaries with their technical innovations across all sports, especially golf, and weeks like the British Masters have shown what it possible. Long may it continue.
