[Joe Schackman]

Fortuitous thread...

USGA announced an end to the 18 hole playoff. Going with a two hole aggregate.

https://www.pga.com/news/golf-buzz/usga-ditch-18-hole-us-open-playoff-switch-two-hole-aggregate-playoff

[Erik J. Barzeski]

USGA announced an end to the 18 hole playoff. Going with a two hole aggregate.

Yeah. Likely because they can play down 1 or 10, and then come right back to the big grandstands on 18. Ideally.

[BHoover]

Call me crazy, but I prefer the 18-hole format. It gives those of us who work something to follow on a Monday.

[Eric LeFante]

It will be interesting to see decades from now how often the guy who takes the lead after the first playoff hole goes on to win. I have a feeling it will be quite often and hindsight may show they could have just went with sudden death and ended up with the same winner 9 times out of 10. History may show that 2 holes is too similar to sudden death. I like 3 holes the most.

[Phil McDade]

USGA announced an end to the 18 hole playoff. Going with a two hole aggregate.

Yeah. Likely because they can play down 1 or 10, and then come right back to the big grandstands on 18. Ideally.

Not at Erin Hills!

[Jeff Schley]

This has to be TV related.

[Joe Schackman]

This has to be TV related.

Alan Shipnuck tweeted this:

It was insane. And everyone hated it, including the reporters. That's why it was so great! Total anachronism to an era where men were men and TV money didn't rule the world.

[BCowan]

Call me crazy, but I prefer the 18-hole format. It gives those of us who work something to follow on a Monday.

excellent post.  Plus the 08' US Open is now more epic.  You gotta think Tiger is pissed. 

[Pete_Pittock]

At Shinnecock the three choices are 1-9, 14-13 and 17-18. They'll probably pick 17-18 because of infrastructure.

[Jim Nugent]

If they tie after two holes do they go to sudden death? 

[Chris Roselle]

If they tie after two holes do they go to sudden death?

If the playoff results in a tie after two holes, the tied players would immediately continue to play off hole-by-hole (sudden-death format) until the champion is determined.

[Thomas Dai]

No playoffs, use countback. In a tie, best last round wins. If still a tie, best last 9-holes wins, then best last-6 wins, then best last-3, then last-hole, then flip a coin so everyone who is still awake can go home or turn the TV onto another channel.
atb

I can’t tell if this is serious.

Yip, it’s serious!
Imo the last few holes of the last round of a Major are usually exciting but playoffs are normally an anticlimax.
When a playoff is about to commence it’s time imo to get up out of the chair and fill the kettle for a cuppa. Each to their own however.

By the way, there was French Open (or maybe it was a Lancôme Trophy) a few decades ago when Seve and Bernard Langer tied after 72-holes and they played-off and halved every hole until it got to dark to carry on and neither was available to play the next morning so it was deemed a tie.

And until the 1960’s The Open was a 36-hole play-off. The last being 1963 (Bob Charles vrs Phil Rodgers at Royal Lytham)

Atb

[Kalen Braley]

Good riddance,


Most of us have real jobs and can't take off an entire day on a whim to watch the end of a major....much less the hoardes involved in putting on a major.


P.S.  I doubt Tiger will mind this, if anything given his age and broken down body he will probably appreciate this! 

[Matthew Essig]

If The Open has enough daylight for 4 holes, why doesn't the US Open have the daylight for 3 holes? 2 holes feels too close to sudden death, IMO.

[Kalen Braley]

Matt,


I think the point is its all subjective...


4 holes, 1 hole, 2 holes, 18 holes, 36 holes, no right or wrong answers or everyone would do it the same.


P.S.  On average, Scotland has two extra hours of daylight in July, than a place like New York has in June...

[Peter Flory]

I don't see why it is any cheaper to end a major with a sudden death playoff than it is to end it on the last hole of regulation.  Either way the whole thing can come down to a very small difference or a mistake.  And from a day and time logistics standpoint, it makes the most sense. 


The one thing that I don't like is when they keep playing the same holes over and over though for crowd logistics reasons.  The crowd that is actually there live is such a small part of the viewing audience, I feel like we have to suffer the boredom of watching the same holes for their convenience.  Let them all run after the playoff and go onto the fairways behind the players like they used to do.  That adds to the pressure and would even make it more fun to watch on TV. 

[jeffwarne]

I don't see why it is any cheaper to end a major with a sudden death playoff than it is to end it on the last hole of regulation.  Either way the whole thing can come down to a very small difference or a mistake.  And from a day and time logistics standpoint, it makes the most sense. 


The one thing that I don't like is when they keep playing the same holes over and over though for crowd logistics reasons.  The crowd that is actually there live is such a small part of the viewing audience, I feel like we have to suffer the boredom of watching the same holes for their convenience.  Let them all run after the playoff and go onto the fairways behind the players like they used to do.  That adds to the pressure and would even make it more fun to watch on TV.

+1


The Masters was cheapened when they abandoned the (possible) run down to Amen corner.
and as a fan, it was very interesting to make the gamble to be over by 10(or even 11) in hopes of a playoff





3,4 hole formats are usually anticlimactic too-2 is also
sudden death just carries on what was going on at the 72nd hole.


18 holes in at least one major was pretty cool also.


2 holes? just seems like a lot of waterd down compromises.


Funny how they study the ball and distance for 30 years-doing nothing (oh I forgot the grooves experiment)
but they can nuke a playoff tradition in an instant...

[Scott McWethy]

I just hope the USGA exercises some common sense with this change.  In recent years the USGA has had the tee times start so late on Sunday so they can have the tournament end in prime time.  If they're going to have this two hole aggregate system if there is a tie at the end of regulation, they better be careful not to run out of daylight, otherwise it defeats the purpose of finishing the tournament on Sunday.

[V. Kmetz]

Funny how they study the ball and distance for 30 years-doing nothing (oh I forgot the grooves experiment)
but they can nuke a playoff tradition in an instant...

I agreed with everything in your whole post, but THIS especially... such an abrupt announcement just really exposes all the ambiance/tradition/character they continually advertise, as mere barter to whichever reality they claim inspires their important decisions. Who cares about DJ's nano-penalty/no penalty/cluster fuck at Oakmont and the integrity of it all when you can dismiss an original 120 year tradition of deciding playoffs with at least one full round of medal play in a communique, followed by (I'm sure) a Twitter blast, a FB post and in-studio interviews on the Golf Channel.


Cultural politics completely aside, it really does make one question:


Whether the leadership of governing bodies has the best interest of the game at heart, or their elite rosters' hegemony over the definition and the treasuries of that best interest?


I full well realize good men, not villains, have served on those organizational rosters -- I'm not leveling some WASPy charge of corrupt cronyism -- I'm just saying that they seem to operate in such a close vacuum that they don't always see what's what anymore...nothing was gained in this decision (except perhaps an efficient broadcast profit), but some lessening of authoritative standards was lost.

[Tim Martin]

The USGA which hangs it’s hat on “tradition” as much or more than any other organization in sport just kicked it to the curb.

[Peter Flory]

The one thing about a multi hole playoff that I think is beneficial from a fairness perspective is that it doesn't favor one type of player over another.  Take an extreme example where a guy like Zach Johnson finds himself in a playoff with Dustin Johnson.  One guy (most likely Zach) could be at a distinct disadvantage in a 1 hole format. 


The most similar thing that I can think of is a shootout in hockey.  That could really give one team a distinct benefit if they are top heavy with a few specialists... whereas that same team might not be favored if a more extended version of regular hockey were to be played. 

[Chris Mavros]

I always liked the 18 hole playoff the next day.  There's been some really memorable golf played in this format (Ouimet, Irwin, Rocco/Tiger, etc.).  Sad to see it eliminated for something that lacks imagination or will be all that exciting to watch in my opinion. 

[Ronald Montesano]

You think DJ wouldn't have dusted Spieth in 2015, had he 2-putted instead of 3?


If USGA had gone with 4, it would have been tacit approval of the RandA system; had it gone with 3, it would have been supportive of the PGA system. I think that 2 holes is bizarre until proven, and would love to know the story from the upside down.

[Cal Seifert]

Honestly the more I pay attention to the PGA Tour, the less interest I have.


Examples:
People mad at JT for kicking that asshole out the other day. "MASHED POTATOES!"
Every new driver that goes "10 yards farther" slowly ruining the game and turning it into an advertising waste land
The WMPO
The governing bodies slowly abandoning tradition for their corporate benefit
Modern day course set ups altering classic courses to 'protect par'... Drive down Tuckahoe road tomorrow and look at the mow lines
The coverage showing 75% putts and 25% Tiger


Give them 275cc driver heads and rolled back balls and don't let anyone with a flat brim hat through the gates and the PGA Tour will become more entertaining overnight.

[Don Jordan]

I traveled from Australia to see the US Open at Oakmont - I organised my travel so I could make a Monday playoff but after a week at the course I was so grateful that it finished on Sunday


Tradition is great but the tradition of a Monday finish is one I am happy to see pass - those that attend and those that watch on TV deserve a result on the day. Having been in a few playoffs in amateur events I like the idea of 2 or 3 holes, no one shot should finish it after 72 holes

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