U.S. Open Uses Two‑Hole Aggregate Playoff That Has Not Yet Been Needed

Overview

• The U.S. Open now settles 72‑hole ties with a two‑hole aggregate and, if still tied, moves to sudden‑death hole‑by‑hole play.
• The last U.S. Open playoff was the 18‑hole Monday duel between Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate in 2008 and no playoff has been required since that finish.
• The USGA changed the playoff format about a decade after 2008 and the revised two‑hole procedure has not yet produced a champion.
• At Shinnecock Hills in 2026 the two‑hole sequence would use the 17th and 18th holes, a par‑3 then a long par‑4 that played among the week’s toughest.
• The shorter format aligns the U.S. Open with the U.S. Women’s Open procedure, contrasts with the Masters’ sudden death and the PGA and Open’s multi‑hole aggregates, and was adopted to avoid extra‑day finishes that disrupt players and broadcast schedules.