You’re glued to the tv, watching the final round of a big tournament. The leader has a shaky one-shot advantage with two holes to play, and dark clouds are rolling in fast. Just as he steps up to the 17th tee, the siren blares across the course, and players start scrambling for cover. So, what happens now? This article breaks down exactly how professional golf tours handle a final-day rainout, from the initial delay to the most common ways they crown a champion.
When bad weather like lightning or flooding makes a course unsafe or unplayable, you'll hear a prolonged blast from an air horn. This is the universal signal for an immediate suspension of play. It’s not just a suggestion, it’s a strict command issued by the tournament's Rules Committee.
Once that horn sounds, here's what happens on the ground:
The first decision point is simple: Can we get this round finished today? Officials look at the forecast and the amount of daylight left. If it’s a short delay early in the day, a restart is likely. But if it’s a multi-hour delay in the late afternoon, they have to start looking at their contingency plans.
If the forecast looks grim for the rest of Sunday or if there simply isn't enough daylight to finish the final round, the most common and preferred solution is the "Monday finish."
Professionals tours will go to great lengths to complete all 72 holes of a tournament. It’s seen as the purest way to determine a champion. A Monday finish is exactly what it sounds like: everyone comes back the next day to complete the tournament.
Players return to the course, usually early in the morning, and go directly to the spot where they marked their ball. Let's say a player was 140 yards out in the 16th fairway when the horn sounded. On Monday, they go back to that exact spot, place their ball, and continue play as if there was never an interruption.
Majors, in particular, will almost always push for a Monday finish if there’s any way to make it happen. The integrity of completing the four scheduled rounds is a huge priority for events like The Masters or the U.S. Open.
One of the most memorable recent Monday finishes was the 2019 Players Championship. Relentless weather on the weekend forced the conclusion into Monday, where Rory McIlroy held on to win. It felt odd, but it resulted in a definitive champion.
What happens if a Monday finish just isn't an option? Perhaps the Monday forecast is even worse than Sunday’s, or logistical constraints for a global tour make a delay impossible. In these situations, officials can make the decision to shorten the tournament.
The PGA Tour has a specific rule for this. As long as at least two full rounds (36 holes) have been completed by the entire field, a tournament can be declared official. When a final round gets rained out, officials can choose to revert the results to the conclusion of the third round (54 holes).
When a tournament is shortened to 54 holes, the official leaderboard is the one that stood at the close of play on Saturday. The person who was leading after the third round is declared the champion.
It can feel a little anti-climactic, but this is an official win. The victor receives:
A classic example of this was when Dustin Johnson won the 2013 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Torrential rain and high winds completely washed out the final round. Since he was the leader after 54 holes, he was simply declared the winner without hitting another shot. While it might have felt incomplete for the players a stroke or two back who were hoping to make a Sunday charge, the result was official and written into the history books.
Think a Monday finish is strange? Occasionally, things get pushed even further. A Tuesday conclusion is extremely uncommon but not unheard of, especially for a major championship where the stakes are highest.
If violent weather persists through both Sunday and Monday, a major championship committee might decide it’s still worth waiting one more day to complete all 72 holes. The 2005 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 famously stretched into Tuesday morning after a weekend of frustrating delays, with Michael Campbell of New Zealand ultimately holding off Tiger Woods.
These scenarios highlight the commitment that golf's governing bodies have to the 72-hole standard for their marquee events. They will exhaust every possible option before shortening the tournament or, in the absolute rarest of rare cases, canceling it altogether.
Okay, so what happens if the tournament finishes - either after 72 holes on a Monday or as a 54-hole event - and two or more players are tied for the lead?
A playoff is still required to determine a single champion. The process depends on the timing of the weather.
No matter the scenario, the guiding principle for any tour professional is simple: play until they tell you to stop, and be ready to play again whenever they tell you it’s time.
So, when the skies open and a final round comes to a halt, there's a clear hierarchy of decisions: try to finish on Sunday, push to a Monday or even Tuesday finish to get 72 holes in, or if all else fails, declare an official winner after 54 holes. It ensures that even when the weather doesn't cooperate, a worthy champion is always crowned.
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