So, I got to thinking about the US Open, you know, the 2024 one. What happens if guys are all tied up at the end? Always a bit of a nail-biter, that situation, and I wanted to know how they sort it out.

I kinda remember it used to be a whole other day of golf, like a full 18-hole thing if there was a tie. I think Tiger Woods even won one like that, ages ago. Sounded like a real drag, having to come back. So, I figured, I better check out what the deal is for 2024.
My Digging into the Playoff Rules
Well, after a bit of looking around, it’s not that complicated, but they’ve definitely changed it from the old days. No more full round on Monday, which is probably a relief for everyone involved.
Here’s what I learned about the 2024 US Open playoff:
- If there’s a tie after all 72 holes are done, the players who are tied go into a playoff.
- This playoff is a two-hole aggregate format. That just means they play two specific holes, and their scores from those two holes are added up.
- Whoever has the lowest total score after those two holes is the champ. Pretty simple, right?
Then I thought, okay, but what if they’re still tied after those two extra holes? It could happen, golf’s a funny game.
Turns out, they’ve got a plan for that too. If the scores are still level after the two-hole playoff, it switches to sudden death. They just keep playing, one hole at a time. The first player to win a hole outright wins the whole tournament. No more messing around.

It’s good to get that straight, ’cause I know some other big tournaments have different ways of doing it. I vaguely recall one using a four-hole playoff or something. So, for the US Open, it’s clearly this two-hole deal first, then sudden death if needed. That’s the main thing I wanted to nail down.
So, yeah, that’s the lowdown I got on the 2024 US Open playoff format. A two-hole shootout to decide the winner if things are even, and then hole-by-hole if it’s still not settled. Makes for a quicker finish than the old marathon playoffs, that’s for sure. Just wanted to share what I found out!