The Masters uses the sudden-death format for its playoff. The PGA Championship has a three-hole aggregate playoff format. The U.S. Open does a two-hole aggregate (followed by sudden-death) to break any ties.
What about golf’s original major, the Open Championship? How does the R&A do it?
What is The Open playoff format?
If there’s a tie for the lead after 72 holes of regulation at The Open in 2026, the playoff format is a three-hole aggregate on the par-5 14th, the par-3 15th and par-4 18th.
The golfer with the best score over those holes will be the Champion Golfer of the Year at Royal Birkdale. If things are still not settled, whoever’s left standing will play the 18th until one man is left standing. There has not been a playoff since 2015, so the three-hole aggregate format has yet to be used at the Open.
When did the R&A switch to the three-hole aggregate?
The three-hole format went into effect in 2019. Prior to that, the R&A employed a four-hole aggregate from 1989 to 2018. The four-hole aggregate was needed eight different times. Previous formats used were 18 holes and 36 holes.
The Open playoff history
There have been 21 playoffs in the 153 year history of the Open. The first was in 1876 and the most recent was 2015. The one and only playoff at Royal Birkdale happened in 1998.
- 1876: Bob Martin def. Davie Strath (walkover) | St. Andrews (Scotland)
- 1883: Willie Fernie def. Bob Ferguson (36 holes) | Musselburgh (Scotland)
- 1889: Willie Park Jr. def. Andrew Kirkaldy (36 holes) | Musselburgh (Scotland)
- 1896: Harry Vardon def. J.H. Taylor (36 holes) | Muirfield (Scotland)
- 1911: Harry Vardon def. def. Arnaud Massy (34 holes) | Royal St. George’s (England)
- 1921: Jock Hutchison def. Roger Wethered (36 holes) | St. Andrews (Scotland)
- 1933: Denny Shute def. Craig Wood (36 holes) | St. Andrews (Scotland)
- 1949: Bobby Locke def. Harry Bradshaw (36 holes) | Royal St. George’s (England)
- 1958: Peter Thomson def. Dave Thomas (36 holes) | Royal Lytham & St. Annes (England)
- 1963: Bob Charles def. Phil Rodgers | Royal Lytham & St. Annes (England)
- 1970: Jack Nicklaus def. Doug Sanders (18 holes) | St. Andrews (Scotland)
- 1975: Tom Watson def. Jack Newton (18 holes) | Carnoustie (Scotland)
- 1989: Mark Calcavecchia def. Greg Norman and Wayne Grady (4 holes) | Royal Troon (Scotland)
- 1995: John Daly def. Constantino Rocca (4 holes) | St. Andrews (Scotland)
- 1998: Mark O’Meara def. Brian Watts (4 holes) | Royal Birkdale (England)
- 1999: Paul Lawrie def. Jean Van de Velde and Justin Leonard (4 holes) | Carnoustie (Scotland)
- 2002: Ernie Els def. Thomas Levet, Stuart Appleby and Steve Elkington (4 holes) | Muirfield (Scotland)
- 2004: Todd Hamilton def. Ernie Els (4 holes) | Royal Troon (Scotland)
- 2007: Padraig Harrington def. Sergio Garcia (4 holes) | Carnoustie (Scotland)
- 2009: Stewart Cink def. Tom Watson (4 holes) | Turnberry (Scotland)
- 2015: Zach Johnson def. Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman (4 holes) | St. Andrews (Scotland)
Todd Kelly is an assistant managing editor at Golfweek.
