USGA revised playoff formats for all championships

By
Updated: April 2, 2018

The United States Golf Association (USGA) announced a revised playoff format for all four of its Open Championships – the U.S. Open, U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior Women’s Open. Each championship will implement a two-hole aggregate playoff in the event of a tie at the end of 72 holes of stroke play, effective with the 2018 season.

In all four USGA Open Championships, the two-hole aggregate playoff will be used to break any ties after 72 holes of stroke-play competition. If the playoff results in a tie, the tied players would immediately continue to play off hole-by-hole (sudden-death format) until the champion is determined.

In its 117-year history, the U.S. Open has had 33 playoffs that have employed 18- and 36-hole formats. There have been 12 playoffs in U.S. Women’s Open history. A three-hole playoff was held for the first time in 2011. The U.S. Senior Open, which held a three-hole playoff for the first time in 2002, has had six playoffs in its championship history.

Online entry applications for 2018 USGA Open Championships began in March.

2018 USGA Open Championship Schedule
May 31-June 3: 73rd U.S. Women’s Open, Shoal Creek, Shoal Creek, Ala.
June 14-17 : 118th U.S. Open, Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, Southampton, N.Y.
June 28-July 1: 39th U.S. Senior Open, The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, Colo.
July 12-15: Inaugural U.S. Senior Women’s Open, Chicago Golf Club, Wheaton, Ill.