What Is The PGA Championship Playoff Format?

The second Major of the year takes place at Oak Hill, with anticipation building as to who will succeed Justin Thomas as champion and get their hands on the famous Wanamaker Trophy. 

Competition is fierce at Oak Hill, with Brooks Koepka and Viktor Hovland right in the hunt and big names like Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler and Justin Rose all going well too.

However, if two or more players are tied at the end of the 72 holes, it will require a playoff to separate them. But what does it entail?

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF FORMAT

All four Majors have different playoff formats, with The Masters featuring a sudden-death playoff, the US Open having a two-hole aggregate playoff and the Open a four-hole aggregate. 

However, the PGA Championship employs a three-hole aggregate playoff. This means that every player who is tied at the top of the leaderboard after 72 holes at Oak Hill will play holes #14, #15, and #18.

If still tied, it will go to sudden-death on holes #18, #14, #15, #18, #14, #15, #18 repeated.

WHEN WAS THE LAST PGA CHAMPIONSHIP PLAYOFF?

PGA Championship playoffs are relatively infrequent. In fact, there have been only 14 in the tournament since 1958 when it switched to the stroke play format. 

While they are rare, there was actually one last year when Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris were tied after 72-holes at Southern Hills. Thomas outlasted his American counterpart over three holes to win his second Wanamaker Trophy.

That was the first PGA Championship playoff since 2011, when Keegan Bradley edged out Jason Dufner at Atlanta Athletic Club.

Others who have won the PGA Championship via the playoff route in recent times include Tiger Woods in 2000, Vijay Singh in 2004 and Martin Kaymer in 2010.