Cricketers Shane Warne, Kevin Pietersen to get a taste of golf Hero Challenge shoot out

Hertfordshire (UK): Former world number 1 Luke Donald and a host of celebrities including Shane Warne and Kevin Pietersen will feature in the Hero Challenge Golf Shoot Out under lights at the British Masters, here next month.

The European Tour unveiled yet another innovation to popularise golf around the world with the introduction of a Hero Challenge 'One-hole shoot out'.

The event to be title sponsored by Hero MotoCorp and called Hero Challenge will feature eight professional players including former world no 1 and tournament host Luke Donald.

The evening will also feature a one-hole shootout for celebrities that include Warne, Pietersen and TV personality Piers Morgan.

The fast-paced Hero Challenge, will take place at The Grove on October 11.

Featuring eight players, in seven quick-fire head-to-head straight knockout matches, the last man standing will be crowned champion, with the entire contest lasting in less than an hour.

For the professionals, the winners from the four opening round matches will progress through to two semi-finals, with the subsequent two winners contesting a final head-to-head match to decide the Hero Challenge champion. If the two opponents halve the hole, the outcome of that contest will be decided by the tee shot which was nearest to the pin.

Pawan Munjal, Chairman, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Hero MotoCorp, said: "The Hero Challenge promises to be an exciting new concept and we are delighted to be helping to bring this to fans at The Grove as well as the millions of viewers watching on TV. We've had plenty of drama in the first two editions of the Hero Indian Open, and this one-hole format will guarantee some great action and crowd interaction."

The participants will showcase their skills on The Grove's 18th hole, which will be turned into a specially constructed par three hole under the lights.

"This is another great way of getting new fans to engage with our sport and to showcase golf as a form of entertainment, which is something we are really trying to emphasise with this year's British Masters. I think the players will enjoy the fast-paced format of the Hero Challenge, but more importantly, I think the fans will really get into it as it will be something new and different," Donald said.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, said: "It is vital that golf introduces shorter formats to appeal to new audiences and this one-hole straight knockout contest will provide fast-paced entertainment, whilst showcasing the considerable skill of our players.

"Last year's British Masters introduced some terrific innovations, ranging from live masterclasses to on-course interviews, and the Hero Challenge will be another exciting new concept for our fans."

Apart from being the title sponsor of the tournament, Hero MotoCorp has also become an official partner of the British Masters supported by Sky Sports.

The New Delhi-based two-wheeler manufacturer extends its association with the European Tour, having been title sponsor of the Hero Indian Open since 2015.

The Hero Challenge follows last week's announcement that the World Super 6 Perth, a new format featuring three rounds of strokeplay followed by a six?hole matchplay knockout, will be part of the European Tour's 2017 schedule, taking place next February.