When 72 holes aren't enough to crown a champion at Augusta National, the tournament shifts into one of the most dramatic and pressure-filled spectacles in all of sports: the sudden-death playoff. There's no complex aggregate scoring or a next-day 18-hole showdown, it's a simple, high-stakes battle where one great shot can earn a Green Jacket and one poor one can end a lifelong dream. This article walks you through exactly what happens when golfers tie at the Masters, from the holes they play to the history that has been made under that intense pressure.
Unlike some other major championships that use aggregate scores over a set number of holes, the Masters has used a sudden-death format since 1976. The concept is straightforward and incredibly electrifying: the first player to win a hole wins the tournament. It's that simple and that final.
Once the final putt of regulation play drops and two or more players are tied at the top of the leaderboard, there is no long wait. The players return to the course almost immediately to begin the playoff. The roars of the patrons, already at a fever pitch, become even more intense as they crowd around the designated playoff holes to witness history.
This format guarantees a victor on that Sunday evening. It’s built for drama and ensures that the champion earns their Green Jacket with a display of courage and execution when stakes are at their absolute highest. It's a test not just of skill, but of pure nerve.
The sudden-death playoff at the Masters doesn't roam all over Augusta National. It follows a very specific and repeating two-hole loop, chosen for both its competitive challenge and its logistical convenience for players, officials, and the thousands of watching patrons.
The playoff always begins on the 18th hole. This makes perfect sense, the players just finished on this hole, and the massive crowds are already surrounding the green and lining the fairway, creating an incredible amphitheater of pressure. The hole itself is a brutal test:
Starting on 18 immediately puts a premium on great ball-striking. There's no "easing into" a Masters playoff, you need two great shots just to have a look at birdie.
If the players tie on the 18th hole, the playoff moves to the 10th hole. This magnificent, sweeping downhill dogleg-left par-4 is another of Augusta's most iconic and demanding holes. Logistically, it's a short walk from the 18th green back to the 10th tee, a route the players know well.
Should the players tie the 10th hole as well, they would return to the 18th tee and repeat the loop - 18, 10, 18, 10 - until a winner is decided.
The sudden-death format has been the stage for some of golf’s most unforgettable moments. These are not just tournament victories, they are career-defining, legacy-cementing dramas played out on of sport’s biggest stages.
Perhaps the most famous playoff shot in Masters history. Augusta native Larry Mize found himself in a seemingly impossible position on the second playoff hole (the 11th, at the time, before the current format was adopted), well right of the green. Battling against Greg Norman, one of the world's best, Mize pitched his ball onto the glassy green from over 140 feet. It took two hops and rolled right into the center of the cup for a shocking birdie. Norman, unable to match it, was left heartbroken. It was a shot that defied belief and gave Mize an improbable Green Jacket.
This is modern Masters magic. In a playoff against Louis Oosthuizen, Bubba Watson hit a wild tee shot on the 10th hole deep into the pine straw on the right side of the fairway, blocked by a gallery of magnolia trees. With absolutely no clear line to the green, Watson did the unthinkable. He took out his gap wedge, hooded the face, and unleashed a massive, low, hooking Piranha-of-a-shot that banana'd nearly 90 degrees around the trees to find the green. He two-putted for par to secure the win, cementing a reputation for creative genius under pressure.
After decades of major heartbreak, Sergio Garcia faced off against Justin Rose in an epic Sunday duel. Coming to the 18th hole for the first playoff hole, years of pressure rested on Sergio’s shoulders. After a wayward drive, Rose was in trouble short of the green, while Garcia laced his approach to just 12 feet. When Rose couldn't get up and down for par, Sergio was left with two putts for victory. He only needed one, draining the birdie putt and releasing a guttural roar that echoed with years of frustration and, finally, elation.
As a coach, I can tell you that a Masters playoff is 90% mental. At that level, everyone has the physical shots. The winner is the player who can control their breathing, thoughts, and emotions when their heart is trying to pound its way out of their chest. How do they do it?
What makes the Masters' sudden-death format so exciting is how it contrasts with the other three major championships. A quick look highlights its unique flavor of drama:
While the aggregate formats are a fantastic test of sustained skill, they can lack the immediate finality of the Masters. Every single shot in a sudden-death playoff could be the last one, creating an edge-of-your-seat tension that is simply unmatched.
So, should we be lucky enough to see another Masters end in a tie, you'll know exactly what to look for: the nervy walk back to the 18th tee, the battle for control over mind and body, and the raw drama of sudden-death on two of golf’s greatest holes. It's a tradition that has produced some of the game's most memorable heroes and defining moments.
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