Welsh Open pairs event to use tactical 6-6-6 format

The Welsh Open pairs competition is built around a 6-6-6 format: 18 holes split into six holes of foursomes, six of greensome and six of betterball. The FootGolf Association of Wales used an August 5 post to say the countdown is on and to promise a closer look at how the format works, turning the pairs event into one of the clearest tactical stories on the Welsh FootGolf calendar.

That structure changes the round three times. Foursomes, or alternate shot, punishes a bad tee ball because the next player has to live with it. Greensome, listed by the association as the scramble section, gives partners a built-in recovery option if one line goes astray. Betterball then flips the pressure again, because the pair can ride whichever player is making the lower score. In practice, the format rewards partnerships that can talk cleanly, plan tee shots with the next six holes in mind and absorb mistakes without losing shape.

The format detail also sits inside a wider event structure. In the build-up to the 2025 FIFG250 Welsh Open, the association said entry opened on Friday, January 31 at 6 p.m., practice day fell on Friday, April 25, and the Welsh Open and Welsh Open Pairs started on Saturday, April 26 at Flint Mountain Park Hotel & Golf Club. The Welsh Open wrapped up on Sunday, April 27 with a formal presentation to winners and podium finishers. FIFG BlueGolf listings placed the event in the WAL 250 category, underlining the ranking value attached to the weekend.

Recent results show why the pairs format matters. Eve Watson and Lorraine Hyde won the women’s pairs title and took home the Red Dragon trophy, while women’s world No. 1 Claire Williams won the Welsh Open itself and Wales’s Jen Broughall finished second. Those names tell the story of the standard at the top end: the Welsh Open is not a side event, and the pairs title is not a casual add-on. It is a serious championship in its own right.

The event also has a clear place in the 2026 calendar. The Welsh Open is listed for Celtic Minor Golf Club, and another Welsh Open pairs listing points to South Wales in September 2026. With the format now public, the real question is which partnerships can switch gears fastest when the round moves from alternate shot to scramble to betterball.