How to resolve golf tournaments which have finished in a tie has long been a bone of contention. The early tendency was for play-offs over 36 holes, with later generations preferring firstly 18 holes and then sudden death. But whatever the method, people expressed reservations. In sudden death, the hole might favour one particular player, while an extra round (or two) was anticlimactic for the audience, who had to wait an extra day for a result, and might not be able to watch on that day.
A compromise to this quandary emerged in the Far East, where some play-offs were contested over a distance of three to six holes and the outcome decided on aggregate scores. The Memorial, the tournament founded by Jack Nicklaus, adopted this format in its inaugural year of 1976, having a play-off over three holes (with a further hole required to bring about a result). However, tour officials didn't take to the idea and ruled sudden death be used for all future play-offs, though that in itself was no guarantee of brevity. In the Motor City Open in 1949, Cary Middlecoff and Lloyd Mangrum went 11 extra holes. They finally agreed to share the title.
No Play-off
One idea to have lost currency completely is that of having no play-off. This used to be the case with several tournaments in Great Britain, the last being the now defunct Martini International, which declared joint winners in 1975.
But, as organisers were already aware, having provision for a play-off didn't necessarily mean there would be one. In the 1876 British Open, when Bob Martin and Davie Strath tied for first place, competitors had to share the course with other golfers. Strath played into a group of them at the 17th in the final round, something which could have led to disqualification. However, the committee were unable to decide on the matter and with the two players tied, ruled the play-off proceed with a decision to be made later. Strath objected to this contentious procedure and declined to play. Martin became champion by default.
18 Holes or 36
Had there been a play-off, it would have been over 36 holes. The British Open favoured this format into its second century, though there was one example, in 1911, of things going less than the full distance. Arnaud Massy was so far adrift of Harry Vardon that he conceded on the 35th. An 18-hole play-off was introduced in 1964 (first used in 1970) and a four-hole version in 1985 (first used in 1989).
In contrast to the British Open Championship, early play-offs in the US Open were over 18 holes and when the 36-hole formula was embraced, it soon made for a large amount of overtime. Billy Burke and George von Elm were so closely matched in 1931 that it required two 36-hole play-offs to separate them. Finally, Burke emerged by just a single shot.
Play-offs for Minor Places
While generally a method for determining the winner, play-offs have taken place to decide minor places. On an unofficial basis, Bob Kirk and the aforementioned Davie Strath did so in the 1870 British Open, arranging a round between themselves after finishing tied for second. Others later copied their idea when having tied for some of the lower places in future British Opens.
On an official level, play-offs for minor places have usually involved a meeting between defeated semi-finalists in match play events. In 1978, however, the historic PGA Match Play Championship took matters a step further. A tournament dating back to 1903 (and once second in prestige in Britain to the Open itself) it was struggling for survival. Television doesn't like match play as star names can get eliminated early and to avoid this, organisers split the last 16 players into groups of four, with the winners going through to a semi-final stage, followed by a final and a play-off between the losing semi-finalists for third and fourth places.
Multiple Play-offs
That, however, wasn't all. Those finishing second in the groups would likewise contest semi-finals, followed by a final and a play-off between the losing semi-finalists. These matches would settle fifth to eighth positions in the tournament. The same principle applied to those who finished third in the groups and those who finished fourth. It made for eight matches on the course on the final afternoon, deciding every place from first to 16th, and among those on view who otherwise would not have been were Tony Jacklin (who finished 15th), Seve Ballesteros (seventh) and Greg Norman (12th).
Whether people really appreciated the complicated formula is another matter and in his annual publication, The World of Professional Golf, Mark McCormack thought it 'more an exercise in applied mathematics' than a golf tournament. The event folded after one more year.
Andrew Hunt - My first paid article appeared in 1990, this and a number of others being under the pseudonym Steven Rennard. All told, I have contributed ...
