Next month’s Bermuda Amateur Match Play Championships will be slightly different than in years past.

The Bermuda Golf Association have shortened the tournament to three days instead of four, and have halved the number of spots in the championship flight to eight.

Organisers have taken the step in order to improve the quality of golf at the event, while also making it “more appealing to a wider variety of golfers.”

The hope is that by reducing the numbers in each flight, there will be closer games, and higher-handicap golfers will not find themselves playing against the likes of Jarryd Dillas and Mark Phillips, two of Bermuda’s top amateurs.

For the better golfers, meanwhile, qualifying takes on more importance, with only those making it into the championship flight having a chance to win the tournament.

“We believe the changes to this year’s format will enhance the event,” a BGA spokesman said. “We have listened to our members and the changes that we have made reflect their comments and feelings on the tournament.”

In another change, seniors will no longer have to qualify for their flight, and will be seeded according to their handicap, a move that will spare them having to play 36 holes in a day.

The Bermuda Amateur Match Play Championships runs from Thursday, March 5 to Saturday, March 7, and deadline for entries closes on Monday, March 2.