Champions Tour Match Play?

In his "President Bill" column on March 14, Golf World's Bill Fields listed 15 things he'd do if he were "President of Golf." One was:

Install a Champions Tour match-play event.

Don Morton of Chesterfield, Missouri, likes the idea, with a caveat:

In 2001 the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Match Play Championship at Boone Valley Golf Club was not that successful after holding five great tournaments there for the seniors. Like any other match play event, many times unknowns end up playing on the final day(s). Maybe a better idea is one which Gary Player proposed three years ago during an interview with Peter Jacobsen. Let's have a full-field tournament event which combines players from the PGA Tour and Champions Tour with pairings and competition similar to the Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup or The Legends. Not only would this provide some interesting pairings but would also give the seniors an opportunity to pass on to many of the PGA Tour players the traditions of and responsibilities the younger players have to professional golf.

You had me with the event, but that passing-on-traditions-and-responsibilities....now you're reaching. It would be wonderful if it happened, of course. The Master of all such education is Arnold Palmer and Fields' piece on Arnie in Golf World's Masters section this week is a must-read.

--Bob Carney