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What is a Golf Playoff?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

A golf playoff is used when two or more players are tied at the end of a competition or tournament. Major tournaments have different rules for their golf playoffs. In less competitive circumstances, like a golf game between friends, winning may not matter as much so a playoff may not be necessary.

The playoffs at a US Open Tournament have the tied players return the next day and play another 18 rounds of golf to determine the winner. While this is thought of as the most fair way to settle a tie, it can cause some problems because of the logistics involved in extending the tournament for another day. It can also disturb television executives who must make quick decisions about how to change programming to show additional days.

A person playing golf.
A person playing golf.

Instead of playing another game to settle a tie, the PGA Championship and other tournaments will hold an aggregate golf playoff. An agreed upon number of holes are played, and the person with the least strokes is declared the winner of the tournament.

Both of these types of golf playoffs — a second game and an aggregate golf playoff — can end in another tie. A second tie is usually broken by a sudden death golf playoff. Players play each hole, and the first time a player wins a hole, by using less strokes than his competitor, the game is over.

A golf course.
A golf course.

Some tournaments hold a sudden death golf playoff in the first place, instead of holding a second game or an aggregate golf playoff. This has the advantage of resolving a tie quickly. Competitive friends playing a social game of golf tend to use the sudden death method as well to settle a tie.

The British Open initially used the aggregate method, but it now employs a sudden death golf playoff to determine the winner of its tournament. Conversely, the PGA Championship used to use the sudden death method but now finds the aggregate method to be a more appropriate answer to the tie.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent GolfPutting contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

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Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent GolfPutting contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

anon39426

The Buick Open, like most PGA Tour tournaments, uses a sudden death playoff.

gramjones3

What are the playoff rules for Buick Open?

habura

The US Women's Open uses a 3-hole aggregate playoff. How do they settle a tie in the Masters?

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    • A person playing golf.
      By: sculpies
      A person playing golf.
    • A golf course.
      By: Blair Howard
      A golf course.
    • Golf crowds will be largest during a playoff during a major professional tournament.
      By: tapgoodimages
      Golf crowds will be largest during a playoff during a major professional tournament.