For the final time, the eyes of the golf world will descend upon Tucson, Arizona for the WGC Accenture Matchplay Championship at Dove Mountain. Next year, the event will depart from this much chastised Jack Nicklaus designed layout, with a move to former Presidents Cup venue Harding Park being highly speculated.

However, there is a dark cloud of uncertainty placing a shadow of doubt over its future. Accenture, the event’s title sponsor, will also detach its association with the championship after this week. The difficulty that this event finds itself in is somewhat puzzling, given that it is undoubtedly one of the most compelling and popular weeks of the year.

Outside of the majors and Ryder Cup, no other event appears to capture the imagination of golf fans worldwide quite like the Matchplay. On Wednesday, 64 of the world’s leading players will face head-to-head against each other in 32 matches, with the adversarial and unpredictable nature of the format ensuring that shocks and surprises will occur. Golf fans eagerly fill out the tournament bracket, and place their own predictions against friends in online leagues.

But yet, this event has failed to grab the attention of three of the game’s leading lights. Three-time champion Tiger Woods is an absent figure, as are Adam Scott and Phil Mickelson. For any event, particularly a championship of this stature, there is an unquestionable void without the world number one, and reigning Masters and Open Champions in the field.

It would be remiss of anyone to dismiss the significance of their absence, but the strength and potential of this event is once again illustrated by the fact that enthusiasm remains high. Of course, it should also be remembered that Woods has not progressed beyond the Last 32 since he last won in 2008, while Mickelson hasn’t even competed in the event since 2011.

So, while their absence is undoubtedly a negative, it is perhaps not as great a loss in the minds of many as it may appear at the surface.

The unique nature of match play is ultimately the reason for this event’s success. It’s not just ‘yet another’ impressively stacked stroke play event like the Cadillac at Doral or Bridgestone at Firestone. Prevalent in the amateur game and at club level, match play is unfortunately so rarely a part of the professional game. It is a frustration to those of us who wish to see players tested in a variety of different ways, as there is nothing quite like the required mental challenge of match play.

Certainly, it is not the truest manner in which to identify a champion. One player can play poorly and progress into the next round after overcoming a similarly underperforming opponent, while another can be eliminated after running into someone in red-hot form. However, that in part is what makes the format compelling. It may not seem fair, but show me the document that obliges it to be. A little bit of luck is often required to progress, as it is for a one-off match in any other spot.

Match play also places a particular emphasis on a player’s game, both mentally and technically, if they are to be successful. Players will generally have to putt well, particularly on Dove Mountain’s notoriously treacherous greens, and play more aggressively than they would otherwise in stroke-play. The strategy is also different, with players often taking into consideration the predicament of their opponent, before plotting on what course of action to take with the next shot.

All of these little ingredients make match play an appetising treat for golf fans. And indeed for many of the players themselves – Ian Poulter being a notable example of a player who quite simply thrives in the format.

The colourful Englishman’s exploits in the Ryder Cup are well known, and this week will serve as a welcome teaser for what possibly could be expected in September at Gleneagles. Potential members of both teams will be competing, often against each other, in an effort to progress and indeed impress. While the pressure of the situation is undeniably different at the biennial golfing feast between the United States and Europe, Captains Watson and McGinley will be keen spectators as they seek to assess the ability of their players to excel in the format.

Despite its many challenges with venue and scheduling, those of us who watch the action unfold on Wednesday won’t miss Tiger, Phil and Adam too much. After all, they are the ones who will ultimately be missing out on all of the fun.