U.S. Open playoff format: How it works

As the 2023 U.S. Open reaches its final round, golf fans are on the edge of their seats anticipating who might take home the hardware to become the latest U.S. Open winner.

Los Angeles Country Club (LACC) has presented a tough but fair test the past two rounds, so who has the mettle to overcome the mental and physical burdens to close it out? Only time will tell.

There’s no telling what might happen on championship Sunday, but one possibility is a playoff. Should that happen, do you know the current U.S. Open playoff format? If not, keep reading below, because we’ve got you covered.

How the U.S. Open playoff format works

First, let’s dive into a quick history lesson.

Did you know that a U.S. Open playoff hasn’t occurred since 2008? That’s when Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate went a full 18 holes on a Monday at Torrey Pines to crown a champ (rather than the traditional Sunday finish). It’s still one of Woods’ defining moments, given his knee injury at the time.

The drama was epic, but it came before the updated playoff rules were in place.

So how does the U.S. Open playoff format work now?

In 2018, the USGA announced that a two-hole aggregate playoff would replace an 18-hole playoff, ensuring that a champion would be crowned on Sunday — something that then-USGA CEO Mike Davis said was important in the decision-making process.

“We know how important it is to everyone in the golf world to see play conclude on the Sunday of a major championship, and to award the trophy to the champion,” said Davis. “After receiving input from a variety of constituents, including players, fans, volunteers, officials and our broadcast partners, it clearly came across as something that everyone valued, and would benefit from.”

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In a two-hole aggregate playoff, each participating player completes those two holes, with his combined score used to determine the winner. So if Golfer A combines to shoot a 9 and Golfer B shoots a combined 10, Golfer A is the U.S. Open winner.

However, if the scores are still tied after those two playoff holes, the championship comes down to sudden death: The first player to win a hole outright wins the tournament.

In one sense, a two-hole aggregate playoff requires sheer focus from participating players. It puts the pressure on every single shot in those two holes, rather than having the luxury of recovering from a bad hole in a full 18 holes. Plus, it gives golf fans a champion on Sunday.

However, the electric atmosphere in 2008 between Woods and Mediate was at an all-time high. So the updated U.S. Open playoff format robs fans from those ups and downs for a full round.

Another fun fact to know? The U.S. Open is the only major tournament that uses this two-hole aggregate format. The Masters uses a sudden-death playoff, The Open Championship uses a four-hole aggregate playoff, and the PGA Championship uses a three-hole aggregate playoff.

Regardless of how you personally feel about the U.S. Open playoff format, one thing is certain: The pressure will be on, and golf fans will feel all the emotion.