What Does T Mean in Golf?

Seeing a 'T' next to a golfer's name on a leaderboard can be confusing, but it simply stands for Tied. This happens when two or more players complete a round or a tournament with the exact same score. This article will explain exactly how ties work in professional tournaments, what to do when there's a tie in your club championship, and how to handle it in a friendly weekend match.

What 'T' Means on a Golf Leaderboard at a Glance

In the simplest terms, the 'T' you see on a PGA Tour leaderboard or your club competition's scoreboard means that several golfers are sharing a place in the standings. If three golfers are sitting in fifth place with a score of -2 (two under par), the leaderboard will show them as "T5."

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• 1. Player A: -5
• 2. Player B: -4
• T3. Player C: -3
• T3. Player D: -3
• 5. Player E: -2

In this example, Players C and D are tied for third place. The next finisher, Player E, is then in fifth place, not fourth. The tied position effectively absorbs the subsequent spots. So, Player C and Player D both hold the third position, and the fourth position is skipped.

While this is simple enough, what happens next depends entirely on the context of the competition and which position is being tied.

Ties in Professional Tournaments (e.g., The PGA TOUR)

On professional golf tours, the stakes for a tie are enormous, especially when it’s for first place. A single winner must be declared for the trophy, the winner's check, and the career-defining points for rankings like the FedExCup and the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).

The Playoff: How a Tie for First Place is Decided

When two or more golfers are tied for the lead after the final round of a tournament, they head into a playoff. This is a dramatic, high-pressure showdown to determine the champion. There are two main playoff formats you'll see in professional golf.

1. Sudden-Death Playoff

This is the most common format used on the PGA Tour. It’s exactly what it sounds like: the tied players go back to play a specific hole (usually the 18th).

• The players play the hole one time.
• If one player scores lower than all the others on that single hole, they are declared the winner immediately.
• If two or more players remain tied after the hole, they move on to play another designated hole.
• This continues until one player wins a hole outright.

This format creates intense, watch-it-on-the-edge-of-your-seat moments where one perfect shot - or one terrible one - can end the tournament instantly.

2. Aggregate Score Playoff

This format is less common on the standard tours but is famously used in some major championships to create a more comprehensive test. Instead of a single hole, players compete over a set number of extra holes (typically three or four).

• All tied players play through the predetermined playoff holes.
• Their scores over just those playoff holes are tallied.
• The player with the lowest aggregate score at the end of the playoff holes is the winner.

The U.S. Open used to have a full 18-hole Monday playoff, but has since moved to a two-hole aggregate playoff. The Open Championship (British Open) uses a four-hole aggregate playoff. If players are still tied after the aggregate holes, the format typically switches to sudden-death to determine the champion.

What About Ties for Other Positions?

What if there’s a T2, T10, or T45? Unless it’s for a specific qualifying spot, there are no playoffs for any position other than first place. The players simply share the position and its accolades. However, this has a big impact on prize money.

Winnings for tied positions are distributed by adding up the prize money for all the tied spots and dividing it equally among the players. Sound complicated? It's pretty straightforward with an example:

• Let's say 2nd place pays $1,000,000 and 3rd place pays $700,000.
• Two players tie for 2nd place (T2).
• You add the prize money for 2nd and 3rd place together: $1,000,000 + $700,000 = $1,700,000.
• You then divide that total by the number of tied players: $1,700,000 / 2 = $850,000.
• Each player earns $850,000. The next player on the leaderboard finishes in 4th place.

This same calculation applies no matter how many players are tied. If ten players tied for 10th place, the prize money for spots 10 through 19 would be summed up and divided by ten.

Ties in Amateur Golf and Your Weekend Game

Roping everyone back in for a sudden-death playoff isn't always practical at the local club championship or your weekend skins game. Because of that, club and amateur events have a standardized, non-playing method for breaking ties: the scorecard match.

Scorecard Matching (or "Countback") Explained

The USGA provides a recommended procedure for breaking ties using only the players' scorecards. The idea is to see which player performed better on the most recent, and presumably more pressured, holes.

Here is the standard method for breaking a tie for an 18-hole competition using net scores (after handicap strokes are applied):

1. Back 9 Score: The primary tiebreaker is the total score on the back nine (holes 10-18). The player with the lower score on the back nine wins. (Appropriate handicap strokes are applied to these nine holes first).
2. Last 6 Holes: If the players are still tied after the back nine, the tie is broken using the total score of the final six holes of the round (holes 13-18).
3. Last 3 Holes: If still tied, you compare scores from the final three holes (holes 16-18).
4. The 18th Hole: If, after all that, they're still tied, the winner is determined by who had the better score on the 18th hole alone.
5. Hole-by-Hole Backwards: In the rare event a tie persists, you would then go hole-by-hole backwards from the 17th hole until a winner is found.

A Practical Example:

Joe and Susan both finish a net tournament with a score of 72. Who wins the trophy?

• Step 1 (Back 9): Joe’s net score on the back nine was 35. Susan’s net score was 36. Joe wins the tiebreaker.

If they had both shot 35 on the back nine, you would move to the next step and compare their net scores on holes 13-18, and so on, until a winner emerges.

Handling Ties in Your Casual Match

For your weekly fourball or a friendly match against a friend, things are much more flexible. Deciding a winner when you tie is all about what you agree to beforehand. Here are the common options:

• Call it a "Push": This is the simplest option. If you had a bet on the match, a tie means no one wins or loses money. You simply call it a draw, shake hands, and settle it another day.
• Have a Mini-Playoff: If the course allows and there’s space, you can play one more hole as your own sudden-death playoff. More often, players head to the practice green for a putting contest. A closest-to-the-pin competition or a best-of-three putts match can be a fun way to crown a winner.
• Use a Scorecard Match: Before you tee off, agree to use the official countback method. Saying "Back nine breaks all ties" before the round starts eliminates any potential arguments on the 18th green.

The most important part of handling ties in a casual setting is communication. Decide on the rules before the money or the bragging rights are on the line.

Final Thoughts

So, 'T' in golf simply stands for 'Tied,' indicating that players have the same score. While professional tours use exciting playoffs to decide a winner, most amateur and club events rely on a scorecard countback system, usually starting with the back nine scores to break ties.

Knowing these rules is part of playing smarter, but making good decisions on the course is what really drops your score. When you're faced with a tough shot that could make or break a tie, knowing your options is everything. Fortunately, with our app, Caddie AI, you can get instant, strategic advice for any situation. Whether it's choosing the right club from a difficult lie or figuring out the smart play on a challenging par-5, we provide clear recommendations so you can swing with confidence and avoid those round-ruining mistakes.