U.S. Open playoff rules feature 18-hole Monday tiebreaker format

The U.S. Open is a unique major championship in several ways, and one of the most extreme is how they break a tie after 72 holes. The USGA has held firm in upholding the tradition of a full 18-hole playoff to decide a champion if there is a tie Sunday evening. It’s not ideal for television or the modern sports fan who invests time watching on Sunday and wants a resolution.

TV and the USGA have dodged (is that right word?) the Monday finish every year since 2008, when Tiger Woods knocked off Rocco Mediate in that legendary one-legged title at Torrey Pines. But there’s a flukey seven-year trend that will either be broken or upheld Sunday at Chambers Bay. The last three playoffs have all come in seven-year intervals. There was 1994 at Oakmont, where Ernie Els beat Loren Roberts and Colin Montgomerie. In 2001, Retief Goosen beat Mark Brooks on a Monday at Southern Hills. And then there was Torrey.

With four players locked atop the leaderboard and no clear runaway leader like Martin Kaymer last year at Pinehurst, a Monday finish is obviously in play at the start of the final round. Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Branden Grace, and Jordan Spieth will play in the final two tee times at Chambers Bay and start their round at 4-under.

The playoff is still a stroke play 18 holes and if there’s a tie after that round, it moves to a sudden death. That’s where Tiger finally dispatched Rocco Mediate in 2008 on the 91st hole.

There’s been plenty of pressure for the USGA to implement a more modern tiebreaker. The PGA Championship switched from an 18-hole playoff to a sudden death playoff in the 1970s, and then to a three-hole aggregate playoff later. The Masters did away with the 18-hole playoff in 1976, moving to sudden death. The Open Championship uses a four-hole aggregate playoff.

An on-site USGA representative stated that a potential Monday playoff would start at Noon local (3 p.m. ET). That would set up a finish after the workday back in the eastern United States.

Update: As the leaders hit the back nine, Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth have emerged as the top contenders for the 115th U.S. Open. A few of the earlier tee times demonstrated that low numbers were available out there. Adam Scott posted a 6-under 64, while Rory McIlroy posted a 4-under 66 that was tracking like it could be a 62 or 63 with about five holes to play. Here’s an updated leaderboard with about two hours left in the championship -- if it goes an extra day, it’s like Branden Grace, Spieth, and Johnson are the combatants: