A packed leaderboard on a Sunday afternoon almost always ensures an eventful finish on the PGA Tour.
As the 18th hole approaches with scores tightly contested, a playoff to decide the winner looms. However, the PGA Tour does not have a uniform playoff format. Each event features its own playoff structure.
Here's a look at the playoff format for each major tournament on the tour.
The Masters
Any players tied atop the leaderboard at the end of 72 holes will continue play in a stroke-play, sudden-death format. The players will alternate between the 18th and 10th holes until a winner is decided.
PGA Championship
Any players tied atop the leaderboard at the end of 72 holes will compete in a three-hole (13, 17 and 18) playoff based on aggregate stroke play. If players are still tied after the three holes, they continue in a stroke-play, sudden-death format through holes 18, 13, 17 and back to 18 until a winner is decided.
U.S. Open
Any players tied atop the leaderboard after 72 holes will compete in a two-hole (17 and 18) aggregate playoff. The player with the lowest score is then declared the winner. If there's still a tie following the playoff, the players compete in a sudden-death format, alternating between the 17th and 18th holes until a winner is decided.
The Open Championship
Any players tied atop the leaderboard after 72 holes will compete in a four-hole, stroke-play playoff. The player with the lowest aggregate score following those four holes is declared the winner. If any players remain tied after the four-hole playoff, they will continue in a hole-by-hole, sudden-death (stroke-play) format until a winner is decided.
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