Sometimes, 72 holes at the U.S. Open championship just aren’t enough to crown a new major champion.
It’s rare—a U.S. Open hasn’t needed a playoff since Tiger Woods took down Rocco Mediate in 19 extra holes in 2008—but we’ve been flirting with a playoff at the major in recent years. Since 2020, four of the six U.S. Open tournaments have been decided by exactly one stroke: John Rahm’s win in 2021, Matt Fitzpatrick’s victory in ’22, Wyndham Clark’s win in ’23 and Bryson DeChambeau’s second U.S. Open title in ’24.
In other words? We’re due for some playoff drama.
If you’re reading this on Sunday, that likely means someone has caught—or is close to catching—Wyndham Clark and the six-stroke lead he dragged into the tournament’s final day. If that’s the case, here’s everything you need to know about the playoff format at the U.S. Open:
2026 U.S. Open playoff rules and format at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club
If the 2026 U.S. Open goes into a playoff, the players will battle in a two-hole aggregate format, meaning the player with the best score after those two holes wins the tournament. If there’s still a tie after two holes, the playoff will enter a sudden death stage until one player beats the other on a hole to win the major.
In 2026, the two-hole aggregate playoff at Shinnecock would be played on the 17th and 18th holes.
- 17th hole: Dubbed “Rabbit’s Foot,” the par-3 17th hole measures at 176 yards. Entering Sunday, there have been 0 eagles, 30 birdies, 260 pars and 92 bogeys or worse on the 17th hole. During Saturday’s challenging round, just three players birdied the 17th hole.
- 18th hole: Named “Home,” the par-4 18th hole measures at 490 yards. It’s been a challenge this week, as there have been 32 birdies, 260 pars, and 90 bogeys or worse on the 18th hole. Just eight players notched a birdie on 18 on Saturday.
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History of playoffs at the U.S. Open
The U.S. Open recently switched to the two-hole aggregate playoff format in 2018, much to the dismay of many golf purists. Before 2018, a major champion would be crowned after a full 18-hole playoff. (And from 1928 to 1931, there briefly was a 36-hole playoff format implemented in the U.S. Open. That didn’t last long.)
The last time the U.S. Open went to a playoff was the aforementioned classic 2008 battle between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate at Torrey Pines. Playing on two stress fractures and a torn ACL in his left knee, Woods fumbled a three-stroke lead in the 18-hole playoff but tied it again with a birdie on the 18th hole. On the 19th hole, Mediate bogeyed, and Woods tapped in for par to clinch his 14th career major.
Here’s a list of every U.S. Open that went to a playoff and the winner:
- 1901: Willie Anderson
- 1903: Willie Anderson
- 1908: Fred McLeod
- 1910: Alex Smith
- 1911: John J. McDermott
- 1913: Francis Ouimet (a)
- 1923: Bob Jones (a)
- 1925: William Macfarlane
- 1927: Tommy Armour
- 1928: Johnny Farrell
- 1929: Bob Jones (a)
- 1931: Billy Burke
- 1939: Byron Nelson
- 1940: Lawson Little
- 1946: Lloyd Mangrum
- 1947: Lew Worsham
- 1950: Ben Hogan
- 1955: Jack Fleck
- 1957: Dick Mayer
- 1962: Jack Nicklaus
- 1963: Julius Boros
- 1965: Gary Player
- 1966: Billy Casper Jr.
- 1971: Lee Trevino
- 1975: Lou Graham
- 1984: Fuzzy Zoeller
- 1988: Curtis Strange
- 1990: Hale Irwin
- 1994: Ernie Els
- 2001: Retief Goosen
- 2008: Tiger Woods
Playoff formats for each major
All four of the majors have their own unique playoff format.
- The Masters: Sudden death, similar to most PGA Tour events.
- PGA Championship: Three-hole aggregate, then sudden death.
- U.S. Open: Two-hole aggregate, then sudden death.
- British Open: Four-hole aggregate, although a three-hole aggregate has been used several times in the last few years, including in 2025. Sudden death if there’s still a tie.
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