What Are the Most Playoff Holes in Golf History?

Playoffs in any sport are the epitome of excitement. It’s when heroes are made, redemption is within grasp, winners bask in the glory of victory, and losers taste bitter defeat. However, golf just might have an argument as the best playoff sport of them all. If you’ve wondered “what are the most playoff holes in golf” — learn more about the memorable moments, playoff formats, and everything you’ve wanted to know about golf playoffs here.

What Is a Playoff Hole in Golf?

A playoff hole in golf is used when two or more golfers are tied at the end of a tournament. On the PGA tour, this would be a tie after 72 holes; LIV golf has a 54-hole, team-based format, so playoffs would commence if teams were tied after three rounds.

What Is a Sudden-Death Playoff Hole in Golf?

In some professional and amateur tournaments, a playoff hole in golf follows a sudden-death format. This format dictates that the first golfer to shoot a lower score on a hole wins the hole and the tournament. If the players tie on the hole, they continue on to the next hole.

In sudden-death playoff scenarios that have more than two finalists, the same format continues. However, if one golfer has a higher score on a hole, they are automatically eliminated. For example, let’s say that four golfers are in a sudden death playoff. Three of the players shoot par while the fourth player hits a bogey. In this case, the three golfers would advance while the fourth would be eliminated.

Another example would be if four golfers were in a sudden-death playoff and shot three different scores. If one golfer shot a par, one shot a bogey, and two shot a birdie, the golfers that shot par or bogey would both be eliminated.

Sudden-death playoff holes can continue indefinitely until one golfer emerges triumphant. However, some tournaments switch to different holes after each sudden-death hole while others continue to replay the same hole.

What Is an Aggregate Playoff in Golf?

While the sudden-death format has become more popular over time among both amateur and professional tournaments and friendly matches, most playoff holes in golf are actually played in the aggregate format. Unlike a sudden death playoff hole, an aggregate playoff requires finalists to play multiple holes. The golfer with the lower score after these aggregate holes is the winner. If there’s no winner after the aggregate, most tournaments that use an aggregate playoff simply switch over to a sudden death playoff to determine the winner.

Unsurprisingly, most playoff holes in golf occur in the aggregate format, especially in tournaments prior to the 1970s and 1980s, when aggregate playoffs were used almost exclusively.

While an aggregate playoff isn’t necessarily better than sudden-death, many advocates state that it’s a fairer way of determining a winner. An aggregate playoff is much more forgiving, a single shot won’t kill your chances of winning, and you have more opportunities to break even should you fall behind early.

Professional Golf Playoff Formats

Professional golf playoff formats have varied greatly over time. For almost the entire existence of the PGA, nearly all tour events used an 18-hole aggregate playoff format, which was always completed the day following the tie. This format led to some of the most playoff holes in golf history. Eventually, the lengthy format went by the wayside in favor of shorter aggregate or sudden-death playoffs that were completed right after the conclusion of the tournament.

Today, both men’s and women’s professional golf tournaments use the aggregate or sudden-death format depending on the tournament. Others start with an aggregate and then switch to sudden death in the spirit of a quicker finish.

Here are the playoff formats for some of the top tournaments on both the PGA and LPGA tours.

Playoff Format for the Top PGA Tournaments

• The Masters: Sudden-death only. Players start on the par-4 18th hole, then move to the par-4 10th hole. Play continues back and forth between these two holes until a winner is crowned.
• PGA Championship: Three-hole aggregate scoring. If there’s no winner after three holes, the tournament goes to a sudden-death format.
• U.S. Open: Two-hole aggregate scoring that goes to sudden death if the game is still tied.
• British Open: Four-hole aggregate scoring that usually takes place on the 1st, 2nd, 17th, and 18th holes. If no winner emerges after four holes, it becomes sudden death.
• Players Championship: Three-hole aggregate scoring. Sudden death decides the winner if none is crowned after the three holes.
• Open Championship: Three-hole aggregate scoring that goes to sudden death after the three holes.

Playoff Format for the Top LPGA Tournaments

• The Chevron Championship: Sudden death.
• U.S. Women’s Open: Two-hole aggregate playoff followed by sudden death.
• Women’s PGA Championship: Three-hole aggregate playoff followed by sudden death.
• Women’s British Open: Three-hole aggregate playoff followed by sudden death.
• The Evian Championship: Sudden death with the 18th hole of the Evian Resort Golf Club played over and over until one golfer wins.

Playoff Format for LIV Golf

• Individuals tied at the end of the tournament play a sudden-death playoff to determine a winner.
• Because LIV Golf uses a team format on top of individual play, the playoff format for teams is a bit different. Any golfers already playing in an individual sudden-death playoff are not allowed to play in the team tournament. The top two golfers from each team aside from these individuals play a sudden death playoff, using an aggregate scoring between the two teammates. For example, if Team A has two golfers that shoot a 4 and a 5, their score would be 9 on aggregate. If Team B shoots a 4 and a 6, they would have a 10 on aggregate, and thus, lose the match.

Some of the Most Playoff Holes in Golf and Other Memorable Moments

Since the founding of the PGA in 1929, numerous tournaments have had memorable playoff holes and moments. While most playoff holes in golf are exciting, some are even a bit more special than others. Here are a few of the best.

1. 1931 U.S. Open

The most playoff holes in golf occurred at the 1931 U.S. Open at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio. Following a tie after 72 holes, Billy Burke and George Von Elm squared off in two 36-hole aggregate playoff rounds until Burke finally won his first and only major. The 72-hole playoff remains the most playoff holes in golf — a record unlikely to ever be broken due to the recent changes in playoff formats.

2. 1949 Motor City Open

In the inaugural Motor City Open, two future hall-of-famers squared off in the longest sudden-death playoff in PGA history. Tied after 72 holes, Cary Middlecoff and Lloyd Mangrum continued the tournament right afterward for 11 holes — the most playoff holes in golf for a sudden-death format. Interestingly, as darkness approached, tournament officials — with the consent of both golfers — declared the two co-winners, giving an anticlimactic yet justified ending to this epic battle.

3. 2012 Mayakoba Golf Classic

John Huh may not be a household name, but he had one heck of a day taking home the 2012 Mayakoba Golf Classic title. Making up seven strokes in the final round, Huh forced a sudden-death playoff against Robert Allenby. Huh outlasted Allenby, eventually winning with a par on the 8th playoff hole. To date, it’s the second most playoff holes in PGA tournament history.

4. 1983 Phoenix Open

Bob Gilder took home the 1983 Phoenix Open championship in one of the most epic PGA tournaments of all time. Tied after 72 holes, Gilder along with Johnny Miller, Rex Caldwell, and a young Mark O’Meara played eight sudden-death playoff holes, with Gilder eventually prevailing. This tournament is tied for the most playoff holes in golf with four or more golfers.

5. 1981 Quad Cities Open

Now known as the John Deere Classic, the 1981 Quad Cities Open is the other eight-hole playoff involving four or more golfers. With Victor Regalado, Dan Halldorson, Frank Conner, Woody Blackburn, and Dave Barr duking it out after 72 holes, Barr eventually emerged victorious after eight holes — the most playoff holes in golf history for a PGA fivesome.

6. 2008 U.S. Open

In only the third sudden-death playoff in U.S. Open history, the 2008 event saw Tiger Woods defeat Rocco Mediate, despite a back-and-forth affair in regulation between the two linksmen. On the par-4 7th hole, Woods tapped in a putt for par, while Mediate’s shot from the bunker to save par fell short. It was the third U.S. Open and 14th major for Woods at the time.

7. 2005 Masters

The 2005 Masters is one of the most famous golf moments of all time. After sinking a playoff birdie putt at Augusta to defeat Chris DiMarco in the first sudden-death playoff hole, Tiger Woods triumphantly pumped his fist. It’s still one of the most iconic moments of the legendary tournament.

8. 2021 Travelers Championship

The 2021 Travelers Championship featured Harris English knocking off Kramer Hickok in one of the longest sudden-death matchups in PGA Tour history. After playing eight holes at TPC River Highlands Country Club in Cromwell, Connecticut, English — including six on the 18th and two on the 17th — Harris sank a birdie putt to seal the epic win.

How To Avoid Playoff Holes in Golf When You’re Playing

Playoff holes in golf are full of excitement — at least if you’re the one watching. But if you’re playing, it’s unnecessary stress, even if it’s just a friendly game. As a result, the best plan is always to win in regulation and skip the late-game heroics if possible, which is easier said than done. 

So whether you need to add a Texas wedge to your golf game, improve your drive, or hone your short game with an office putting set, it’s all about practice. Hopefully, the only playoff hole you’ll be playing is one to decide who’s going to buy the beer.