U.S. Open abandons 18-hole playoff, final major to do so

PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLA. » The U.S. Open is changing to a two-hole aggregate playoff, the last of the four majors to do away with an 18hole playoff.

The change is takes effect immediately and would be used at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island in June if there is a tie after 72 holes. The U.S. Golf Association also decided to make its other three open championships two-hole playoffs — the U.S. Women’s Open, U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior Women’s Open.

The U.S Open has had 33 playoffs in its 117 years, all decided by 18 holes or more.

“There was a time when they did make sense before television, before the modern era of wanting everything decided immediately,” said Mike Davis, chief executive of the USGA. “There is no correct way to determine a tie in stroke play.”

The last U.S. Open playoff was 10 years ago at Torrey Pines, where Tiger Woods beat Rocco Mediate in 19 holes for his 14th major.

The Masters was the first major to abandon the 18hole playoff in 1976 when it changed to sudden death. The PGA Championship did the same a year later. The PGA later changed to a threehole aggregate.

The British Open changed to a four-hole aggregate in 1986.

The U.S. Open used to have a 36-hole playoff, last used in 1931 when Billy Burke and George Von Elm tied after 72 holes, tied after the 36-hole playoff and then played another 36 holes. Burke won by one shot. Then, if 18-hole playoffs were tied, another 18 holes were played. Starting with the 1990 U.S. Open, an 18-hole playoff that ended with a tie was decided by sudden death. Hale Irwin won that year.

Davis said the USGA chose a two-hole playoff to allow a player to recover from one bad shot and still keep the intensity of the playoff being decided quickly.

The 10-year stretch between playoffs is the longest in U.S. Open history.

“This came up about two months ago,” Davis said. “We’ve had 33 playoffs since 1895. Do your math and that’s one every 3 ½ years. For the last 23 years, we’ve had two playoffs. So it was proactive.”

He said the USGA asked players, broadcaster partners, vendors and fans about ending the 18-hole playoff.

“I won’t say it was everybody, but seemingly it was, ‘Why do we have to come back tomorrow?’” Davis said.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Rocco Mediate, left, jokes with Tiger Woods following Woods’ U.S. Open championship victory after playing a sudden death hole following an 18-hole playoff round for the U.S. Open in 2008. The U.S. Open is switching this year to a two-hole aggregate...