CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The “Green Mile” finishing stretch has had a starring role at this week’s PGA Championship, and would do so again if a playoff is needed Sunday.
The PGA uses a three-hole aggregate format and the three holes would be the par-4 16th, par-3 17th and par-4 18th—the toughest holes at Quail Hollow through the first three rounds. The lowest score for the three holes wins.
This year’s Masters was decided by a playoff, with Rory McIlroy defeating Justin Rose on the first hole of sudden death to clinch the career Grand Slam. The Masters is the only major that plays sudden death.
The PGA’s three-hole format was used for the first time in a PGA Championship in 2000, when Valhalla hosted and Tiger Woods defeated Bob May in an epic duel in the midst of his “Tiger Slam.”
The PGA Championship last had a playoff in 2022, when Justin Thomas defeated Will Zalatoris in the three-hole aggregate at Southern Hills.
The U.S. Open has not seen a playoff since Woods’s famous 18-hole Monday win over Rocco Mediate in 2008 at Torrey Pines. The U.S. Open has abandoned that format but hasn’t yet needed to use its new two-hole aggregate playoff.
Should players at Quail Hollow be tied after the three-hole aggregate, the playoff would advance to sudden death on the 18th hole, then if needed go to the 16th, 17th and 18th in order.
And by that point, the PGA Championship would be ending Monday.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Here’s the Playoff Format If Needed to Decide the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
