18 Hole Playoffs in Majors

Welcome Put it in Stone viewers.

Todays post is brought to you by....The Pontiac Aztec. I can't express to you enough how much I want every one of these god forsaken automobiles off the road. Some cars are just better off conceptually.

As a person who has been involved in golf playoffs and sudden death situations I feel as though I can speak freely about which format is the best and most fair for all players involved. The Masters uses the sudden death format, US Open uses an 18 hole playoff the following day, The PGA Championship and British Open use a 3 and 4 hole playoff respectively.

Personally speaking, I think the Masters format is far and away the worst way to go about breaking a tie at the end of a 4 day tournament. For the purpose of example lets just say Tiger and Rocco were in the same situation at the Masters. Both players went through dramatic ups and downs only to end up tied at the end of 4 days only to put it all at risk on potentially one hole, or even one shot given the level of golf these guys are at. This scenario is great for TV because people watching at home are on sitting on pins and needles waiting for one player to make a mistake. This is also is the best case scenario for the underdog. Rocco v. Tiger, one wrong move by Tiger and without a miraculous escape shot the whole tourney is there for the taking for Rocco. Built on suspense and drama this format is awesome for TV but terrible for a game which takes 4 grueling days to determine a winner.

The US Open goes a drastically different direction with an 18 hole playoff the following day (monday during the day.) Great for the game of golf and by far the most fair to all players involved, this severely lacks TV made suspense and drama. 18 holes on the following day completely levels the competition for everyone and gives all parties involved an opportunity to be the best golfer at that tournament. From a players perspective this is probably the best format. But...TV ratings and fans drive the sport and their paychecks at the end of the day. A live televised 18 hole playoff the next day while everyone is at work just doesn't cut it from a fans perspective.

So that leaves us with what I regretfully say is the best format, the 3/4 hole playoff on the same day as the tournament. One bad shot doesn't necessarily determine a players outcome, there is still a sudden death type of pressure, and it is on the same day as the tournament so the fans can enjoy watching the best of the best. I personally don't think this really keeps the history and tact of the game together but for the players, fans and the PGA I think this is the best way to determine a Champion.

On another note...it is truely sad that Tiger had lost the Masters and ended up having to have season ending knee surgery. Had he won the Masters and his knee was capable of holding out, I truely believe he could have made a serious run at winning all 4 majors in 1 calendar year.