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What's the longest sudden-death in golf?

Author

Emily Sparks

Published Jan 07, 2026

In 1976, the Pepsi-Wilson Tournament on the Japan Golf Tour, set a record for the longest sudden-death playoff on any men's professional tour. It took Peter Thomson 14 holes to defeat Graham Marsh, Brian Jones and Shozo Miyamoto. This record still stands today.

How many sudden death holes are there in golf?

A fairly simple structure here: any players that share the lead after 72 holes will continue playing in a stroke-play sudden death format. They will alternate between playing the 18th and 10th hole until a winner emerges.

What is sudden death in golf?

The winner of the extra round is declared the winner of the entire tournament. But in many venues, a newer playoff format has become the vogue. It is called "sudden death". Those players who finished the tournament tied for first place are all escorted to another hole.

How many playoff holes is the record?

It was a record-tying showdown between Harris English and Kramer Hickok at the Travelers Championship on Sunday. Their eight-hole playoff tied the PGA TOUR record for the longest sudden-death playoff ever completed on the TOUR.

How are ties broken in golf?

A: Ties are broken by comparing the quota scores for the last 9, 6, 3, and final hole(s). The quota for 18 holes is 36 - course handicap; therefore, the quota for any sequence of N holes is (N * 2) - CH on those holes (defined as the sum of handicap strokes on those holes); no decimal needed.

28 related questions found

Has a golf tournament ever ended in a tie?

The PGA changed from match play to stroke play in 1958, and it used an 18-hole playoff to settle ties after 72 holes. The PGA of America decided after its 1976 tournament that it would use the sudden-death format, and in the late 1990s switched to an aggregate three-hole format for its playoffs.

What happens if the PGA Championship ends in a tie?

Instead, the PGA of America employs a three-hole aggregate-score playoff to determine a winner. All those players who are tied will play the 10th, 17th and 18th holes at the Ocean Course. The low score among the players when you add up all three holes is the winner.

What happens to prize money when golfers tie?

If golfers are tied, they split the earnings awarded to all finishing positions from their finisihing position plus the number of golfers golfers with whom they are tied. For example, two golfers tie for second, they split the money paid out to 2nd place and 3rd place. Amateurs do not receive earnings.

How many holes are played in a PGA tournament?

PGA Tour events are 72-hole tournaments, with 18 holes played per day. So, barring delays due to poor weather, the 36-hole cut takes place following completion of the second round.

Is open tie breaker golf?

The US Open playoff format is now contested over two holes for an aggregate score. That means that the players tied for the lead go out and play two holes, with the leading player after the two holes crowned champion. The holes used will be the 10th and 18th.

What is the most sudden-death holes in golf?

The 1949 Motor City Open: Cary Middlecoff and Lloyd Mangrum -- both major champions and World Golf Hall of Famers -- finished regulation of the 1949 Motor City Open in Detroit knotted at 11-under 273. That's right... the pair matched scores for 11 consecutive holes.

What is the longest golf overtime?

The longest playoff of all time came at the 1931 US Open, when Billy Burke needed 72 holes to defeat George Von Elm. The two were tied on 292 after 72 holes of regulation play.

What's the longest overtime in NFL history?

The longest game of all time happened back in 1971 on Christmas Day when the Dolphins defeated the Chiefs, 27-24, in sudden-death overtime in an AFC Divisional Playoff game. Garo Yepremian kicked a 37-yard field goal for the Dolphins after 22 minutes and 40 seconds of overtime play.

Can Presidents Cup end in a tie?

When the Presidents Cup ends and the score is tied, Team USA and Team International are declared co-winners. There is no losing side. The side the held the cup entering the tournament does not retain sole possession of of it.

Has Ryder Cup ever ended in a tie?

Europe retained the Ryder Cup in 1987, beating the United States 15–13 at Muirfield Village, to win in the United States for the first time. The 1989 match was only the second time the contest ended in a tie.

What is a tie in golf called?

A playoff in the sport of golf is how a tie is resolved at the end of a match or competition, often by means of an extra hole, or holes, being played until a winner emerges.

What happens if you tie in the Masters?

In the event of a tie at the end of 72 holes, how is the winner decided at the Masters? If players are tied after 72 holes, the winner is decided in a sudden-death playoff, beginning at the 18th hole and going to the 10th hole if necessary. If it goes to a third hole, it would go back to the 18th.

What is the most golfers in a playoff?

The PGA TOUR record for most players in a sudden-death playoff is six (twice): 2001 The Genesis Invitational 1994 AT&T Byron Nelson There have been 10 playoffs with five players, most recently at The RSM Classic in 2016.

Who won golf sudden death?

Scottie Scheffler Outlasts Patrick Cantlay in Sudden Death for First Tour Title. Scheffler birdied the third playoff hole from 25 feet to clip Cantlay and earn his first win in his 71st career start. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.

How many holes do they play in the US Open?

The U.S. Open is a four-round, 72-hole stroke-play championship, with a cut after 36 holes.

How many US Opens have been at Torrey Pines?

The 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course will be the 13th U.S. Open played in the state of California and will mark the fifth site in the upcoming eight U.S. Opens that is open to the public.

Where do pro golfers stay during tournaments?

The more well-known golfers travel by plane and stay in luxury hotels or rented homes, while the typical player on a minor tour drives to the next tournament and stays in a motel.

Why does golf have 4 rounds?

Traditional professional golf tournaments consist of four rounds. After two rounds of play, the playing field is reduced dramatically. Usually, the top 70 players, including ties, make the cut and go on to play the third and fourth rounds.

What does making the cut mean golf?

make the cut in British English

golf. to better or equal the required score after two rounds in a strokeplay tournament, thus avoiding elimination from the final two rounds.