Here's How a British Open Playoff Would Be Decided at St. Andrews
The historic 150th British Open, if tied after regulation play on Sunday evening, will take at least four more holes to decide who gets the Claret Jug.
A four-hole aggregate (total score) format will be used, with Nos. 1, 2, 17 and 18 on the Old Course at St. Andrews. Those holes are ideal for the venue, all close to each other and where fans will be gathered.
The last Open at St. Andrews in 2015 had a playoff, with Zach Johnson defeating Australian Marc Leishman and South African Louis Oosthuizen. Johnson played the four holes in 1 under, better than Oosthuizen's total by one shot. Poor weather plagued that Open and the final round and playoff were both held on Monday.
Before that, the 2009 Open had a playoff with Stewart Cink beating Tom Watson at Turnberry. Watson, 59, was seeking to become the oldest major champion.
The 1995 Open at St. Andrews also had a four-hole playoff, won by John Daly. His opponent, Italy's Costantino Rocca, was done in with a triple bogey at the Road Hole 17th, where he needed three shots to get out of the Road Hole bunker.
The first, and strangest, Open playoff was a walkover in 1876. Scotsman Bob Martin won when fellow countryman David Strath refused to play, outraged over a lack of a ruling from an incident at the 17th green in the final round. Tournament organizers forgot to book the course, forcing competitors to play amidst paying customers, and Strath hit an approach shot at the 17th hole that struck another player putting on the green. Observers claimed his shot would have gone well over the green and that he benefited from a lack of etiquette in not waiting for the green to clear. When club officials declined to issue a ruling until after an 18-hole playoff, Strath declined to play.
The 2022 major season has already seen a playoff, as Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris needed extra holes to decide the PGA Championship at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thomas prevailed in the three-hole aggregate playoff to win his second major title.
If players are still tied after the four holes Sunday at the British Open, sudden death will be played at the 18th hole as many times as it takes to determine a champion.