Padraig Harrington has dismissed calls for a change to the format of the Accenture Match-Play Championship after relative unknowns Kevin Sutherland and Scott McCarron reached Sunday's final.
"That's silly to change the format," Harrington said on the eve of the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpar.
"Just because they didn't get the winner they wanted, it shouldn't mean they change the format. That's the great thing about match-play.
"Everybody loves it as it throws up surprises and it's a different game of golf. "It's the original form of golf - in fact, it was how golf was meant to be played."
Debate over the future of the Accenture championship has been fuelled by the failure of Americans Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and David Duval to get beyond the first round of this year's tournament, which involved the top 64 players in the world.
Harrington and Darren Clarke were among those to fall at the first hurdle while Paul McGinley fare little better, going out in the second round.
The absence of the top players saw galleries and TV ratings plummet over the weekend.
Harrington will tee off tomorrow hoping to improve his luck in the Malaysian Open after a string of near misses.
Harrington has always contended in the richest national Open in Asia but he is hoping for a better finish in the event.
"After finishing fourth, third and second, last year was meant to be first but I don't know what happened so hopefully this year," said Harrington.
"I'm just trying to take it easy because I've done the practice and it's just trying to get competitive but I'm not sharp and not scoring well though that's always the case at the start of the year.
"But because of my record here I am hoping to do well again."
Harrington has twice been a runner-up, including last year when he forfeited a three stroke lead with three holes to play before losing out to Fiji's Vijay Singh in a play-off.
The Dubliner also revealed he has changed the length of all his irons since holding off McGinley to win last November's European Tour season ending Volvo Masters.
"I had a half an inch taken off them, so clubbing and judging distances are not the same as last year.
"It's getting used to little things like that but after nine weeks off I am lacking a little bit."