x
Skip to main content
Golf Logo
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
Olympic golf playoff rules, format: What happens if there’s a tie for gold in Paris?
SHARE
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Golf Logo
  • News
    • Latest
      • News
      • Features
      • Shows
      • PGA Tour Schedule
    • Series
      • Tour Confidential
      • Monday Finish
      • Hot Mic
      • Rogers Report
    • Shows
      • The Scoop
      • Subpar
      • Seen & Heard
  • Instruction
    • Game Improvement
      • Driving
      • Approach Shots
      • Bunker Shots
      • Short Game
      • Putting
      • Rules
      • Fitness
    • Series
      • Top 100 Teachers
      • Rules Guy
      • The Etiquetteist
      • Emergency 9
    • Shows
      • Warming Up
      • Play Smart
      • Short Game Chef
      • Pros Teaching Joes
  • Gear
    • Clubs
      • Drivers
      • Irons
      • Hybrids
      • Fairway Woods
      • Wedges
      • Putters
    • Other Gear
      • Balls
      • Shoes
      • Apparel
      • Golf Accessories
    • Series
      • ClubTest
      • Winner’s Bag
    • Shows
      • Fully Equipped
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • Travel
      • Course Finder
      • Courses
      • Resorts
    • Lifestyle
      • Accessories
      • Celebrities
      • Food
      • Style
      • Betting Advice
    • Shows
      • Super Secrets
      • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Shop
      • Clubs
      • Shafts
      • Training Aids
      • Balls
      • Bags
      • Technology
      • Apparel
      • Accessories
      • Our Picks
      • Shop All
    • Collections
      • The GOLF Collection
      • The Birdie Juice Collection
      • The Fully Equipped Collection
      • Shop All
  • Newsletters
    • Sign Up for GOLF’s Newsletters
      • Hot Mic
      • Monday Finish
      • Play Smart
      • Our Picks
      • Top Stories
      • Sign Up for All
  • News
    • Latest News
    • Features
    • Shows
    • PGA Tour Schedule
  • Instruction
    • All Instruction
    • Driving
    • Approach Shots
    • Bunker Shots
    • Short Game
    • Putting
    • Rules
    • Fitness
  • Gear
    • All Gear
    • Drivers
    • Irons
    • Hybrids
    • Fairway Woods
    • Wedges
    • Putters
    • Balls
    • Shoes
    • Apparel
    • Golf Accessories
  • Travel & Lifestyle
    • All Travel
    • All Lifestyle
    • Course Finder
    • Courses
    • Resorts
    • Accessories
    • Celebrities
    • Food
    • Style
    • Betting Advice
  • Series
    • Tour Confidential
    • Monday Finish
    • Hot Mic
    • Rogers Report
    • Rules Guy
    • The Etiquetteist
    • Emergency 9
    • ClubTest
    • Winner’s Bag
  • Shows
    • The Scoop
    • Subpar
    • Seen & Heard
    • Warming Up
    • Play Smart
    • Short Game Chef
    • Pros Teaching Joes
    • Fully Equipped
    • Super Secrets
    • Destination Golf
  • Shop
    • Clubs
    • Shafts
    • Training Aids
    • Balls
    • Bags
    • Technology
    • Apparel
    • Accessories
    • The GOLF Collection
    • The Birdie Juice Collection
    • The Fully Equipped Collection
  • Newsletters
    • Hot Mic
    • Monday Finish
    • Play Smart
    • Top Stories
    • Our Picks
    • Sign Up for All
InsideGolf Join Now  / Log In
InsideGolf

Great for yourself...or your Dad

InsideGOLF
News

Olympic golf playoff rules, format: What happens if there’s a tie for gold in Paris?

By: Kevin Cunningham
August 4, 2024
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share by Email
Olympic golf fans cheer in front of Olympic rings at Le Golf National

The 2024 Men's Olympic Golf evet could be heading to a playoff.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

The 2024 Men’s Olympic golf event has reached its final day, with three medals set to be awarded Sunday evening at Le Golf National. But what are the Olympic golf playoff rules in the event of the tie? It’s a little more complicated than regular pro golf events, but we can help with the details. Here’s what you need to know about a potential Olympic golf playoff in Paris.

Olympic Golf playoff format

The final-round leaderboard at the 2024 Olympics is stacked, with droves of star players within a few shots of the lead, including Xander Schauffele, Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and more. Given that, a playoff is entirely possible.

First off, any golf playoff at the 2024 Olympics would be contested across three holes at Le Golf National: the 168-yard, par-3 16th; the 480-yard, par-4 17th; and the 471-yard, par-4 18th.

News
Hideki matsuyama hits shot at le golf national during 2024 olympics
‘Toughest hole I have ever played’: Olympic medals will be won (and lost) on a brute
By: Sean Zak

Unlike at a PGA Tour tournament where only one winner needs to be determined in a playoff, the Olympics need to identify three winners for gold, silver and bronze medals.

So a few different scenarios could arise. Should two players be tied for 1st at the end of regulation, they would compete in a playoff with the winner earning the gold medal and the loser earning silver.

If there are three players tied for the lead, medals would be awarded based on how they finish in the playoff, with third place getting bronze.

But more complicated scenarios exist. For example, there could be a clear winner at the end of the day with several players tied for second. In that event, the winner takes gold and the players tied for second would fight in a playoff for silver and bronze.

How would Olympic playoff tie-breaker work?

Should any potential playoff still be undecided at the end of the first three playoff holes (16, 17, 18), the remaining players would continue playing those holes in order until all medal winners are determined.

Past Olympic golf playoffs

Despite golf having only rejoined the Olympic Games in 2016, there has already been an Olympic golf playoff.

It occurred at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. At the end of regulation Schauffele was alone at the top of the leaderboard as the gold medal winner, and Rory Sabbatini was in solo second, which earned him silver without a playoff. But there were a whopping seven players tied for third.

Those seven players — McIlroy, Collin Morikawa and Hideki Matsuyama among them — competed in a seven-way playoff, with C.T. Pan eventually coming out victorious as the bronze medal winner.

Latest In News

1 hour ago

U.S. Open 2025: Pro hit with 'one of the worst breaks' of the week

1 hour ago

U.S. Open winners: Here are the last 30 champions

1 hour ago

Sam Burns’ roommate? He’s World No. 1. They share something special

2 hours ago

U.S. Open money: Total purse, payout breakdown and winner’s share

Kevin Cunningham

Kevin Cunningham

Golf.com Editor

As senior managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brand’s e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. A former two-time intern, he also helps keep GOLF.com humming outside the news-breaking stories and service content provided by our reporters and writers, and works with the tech team in the development of new products and innovative ways to deliver an engaging site to our audience.

Related Articles

News
Olympic golf mixed competition

Golf's new Olympics event is a win for fans. It's about time

By: Sean Zak
News
Corey Conners interacts with his caddie on the 15th hole with a view of the Olympic rings at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Olympics to add men's and women's mixed golf event for L.A. Games

By: Kevin Cunningham
News
(L) Scottie Scheffler hugs Ted Scott at the Olympics. (R) John Ellis at the Tour Championship.

Should caddies get Olympic medals? This one weighs in

By: Jack Hirsh
News
Lydia Ko poses with her medal at the Olympics.

Tour Confidential: Lydia Ko's golden Olympics, U.S. Am preview

By: Jack Hirsh
Drivers
lydia ko olympics ping g430 max 10k driver

The key role Lydia Ko's Ping driver played in her gold medal performance

By: Jonathan Wall
News
Lydia Ko tearful after olympic win

Inside Lydia Ko's tearful journey to Olympic glory and the Hall of Fame

By: Sean Zak
News
Nelly Korda's shank on the 15th hole at Le Golf National derailed her hopes of a medal. After the round, she addressed what went wrong.

Nelly Korda says untimely Olympic shank hints at larger problem

By: Jessica Marksbury
News
Lydia Ko

In Olympic victory, the real Lydia Ko came out with 1 gesture 

By: Nick Piastowski
Gear
Ping G430 MAX 10K driver

Winner's bag: Lydia Ko earns gold in women's Olympic golf

By: Ryan Barath
Sign up for GOLF's Newsletters
Get the latest news, the hottest instruction tips, new product releases, golf media insider reports and more delivered directly to your inbox. Choose your favorites now.
Sign Up
Categories
  • News
  • Instruction
  • Gear
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
Services
  • Masthead
  • GOLF Media Kit
  • GOLF Magazine Customer Service
  • TERMS OF SERVICE
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • Opt-out of Ads/Sharing
  • Your Privacy Choices
Social
  • facebook
  • x
  • instagram
  • youtube
Membership
InsideGOLF Logo
More than $140 Value for JUST $39.99

INCLUDES 12 SRIXON Z-STAR XV GOLF BALLS, 1 YR OF GOLF MAGAZINE, $20 FAIRWAY JOCKEY CREDIT - AND MUCH MORE!

LEARN MORE

© 2025 EB Golf Media LLC. An 8AM Golf Affiliated Brand. All Rights Reserved. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy a linked product, GOLF.COM may earn a fee. Pricing may vary.

Go to mobile version