What Is a Playoff in the Golf Masters?

When the final putt drops on Sunday at Augusta National and two or more players are tied atop the legendary leaderboard, the tournament isn't over. Instead, we're treated to one of golf's most electrifying spectacles: a sudden-death playoff. This article will break down exactly how the Masters playoff works, explore the iconic holes where legends are made, and revisit some of the most memorable Green Jacket showdowns in history.

What Exactly Triggers a Playoff at the Masters?

The concept is simple but creates immense drama. The Masters is a 72-hole stroke-play tournament played over four days. Each player's goal is to complete the four rounds (18 holes per day) in the fewest possible strokes. If, after all 72 holes are completed, there is no single leader and multiple players share the lowest score, a playoff is required to determine a lone victor.

There's no option for a shared victory or co-champions at Augusta National. One player, and one player alone, will have the honor of putting on the Green Jacket at the end of the day. And that means the tied leaders must head back out onto the course and battle it out, head-to-head, until a winner emerges.

The Masters Playoff Format: Sudden-Death on Hallowed Ground

Unlike other major championships that have used three or four-hole aggregate playoffs, the Masters uses a sudden-death format. This is arguably the most intense format in golf, as the tournament can end on any given shot.

Here’s a step-by-step look at how it unfolds from a player and spectator perspective:

1. Gathering on the Tee: The players who are tied for the lead head to the tee of the designated first playoff hole. They don't replay the full course, they follow a specific, pre-determined routing.
2. One Hole to Win: The players play the hole just like they would during regulation play. The objective is to post a lower score on that hole than any other player in the playoff.
3. A Winner Is Crowned: If one player scores a 3 (a birdie) and the other scores a 4 (a par), the player with the 3 wins the Masters. The tournament is over instantly. This is what "sudden-death" means - the first player to win a hole outright wins the tournament.
4. Continuing the Battle: If all players in the playoff tie the hole (for example, they all make par), they move on to the next designated playoff hole and repeat the process.
5. Repeat Until Victorious: This continues until a hole is played where one player has a lower score than all others. Whether it takes one hole or several, the thrilling back-and-forth continues until someone claims the Green Jacket.

This format has changed over the years. Before 1976, majors used a full 18-hole or even 36-hole playoff played the next day. The move to sudden-death, first on hole 10 then later with a 10 and 18 rota, brought the kind of instant and spectacular finish that we now associate with the Masters.

The Playoff Arena: Holes 18 and 10

The pressure is already overflowing, but the challenge is magnified by the demanding holes chosen for the playoff. Augusta National’s routing for the sudden-death playoff begins on the 18th hole and then alternates with the 10th hole until a winner is decided.

Playoff Hole #1: Hole 18, "Holly"

Players begin the playoff on the 465-yard, par-4 18th hole. It's one of the most recognizable and difficult finishing holes in all of golf. Standing on that tee, players must thread their drive up a narrow chute of towering pine trees. Finding the fairway is a massive advantage.

• The Tee Shot: The drive is uphill and must avoid two deep fairway bunkers on the left that can almost guarantee a bogey.
• The Approach: The second shot is also uphill, played to a long, two-tiered green protected by deep bunkers in the front. A player’s club selection here, with adrenaline pumping, becomes amplified in importance.
• The Green: Knowing whether to land the ball on the back tier or front tier is everything. A putt from the wrong level is incredibly difficult to judge, a situation Chris DiMarco faced against Tiger Woods in their 2005 playoff. Ending up here makes for a fittingly dramatic opening to any playoff.

Playoff Hole #2: Hole 10, "Camellia"

If players tie on 18, they walk from the green, back up the hill, and over to the 10th tee. This 495-yard, par-4 is a beast with its own rich history. It’s a long, downhill dogleg left where a precise tee shot is required to set up the approach.

• The Tee Shot: This hole demands a draw that follows the dramatic slope of the fairway from right to left. A pushed shot finds the trees, and a hook can run out of fairway.
• The Approach: The approach shot is hit from a downhill, sidehill lie toward a green that slopes severely from right to left. Shots that land on the right side of the green will feed down toward the center pin positions.
• Iconic Moments: It was in the trees right of this fairway in 2012 that Bubba Watson hooked a legendary wedge shot onto the green to win his first Green Jacket, proving that creativity under pressure can triumph over a perfect lie. This hole can reward creative shot-making as much as it punishes poor ones.

The rotation of 18 then 10 gives a fantastic combination of challenges: the uphill, narrow demands of Holly and the downhill, sweeping power of Camellia.

Famous Masters Playoffs to Remember

Some of the most iconic moments in golf have happened during a Masters playoff. The sudden-death format creates lasting memories of both victory and heartbreak.

Adam Scott vs. Ángel Cabrera, 2013

In the pouring rain, both men hit spectacular approach shots and made nervy, clutch putts on the 18th hole in regulation to force a playoff. They both parred the first playoff hole (18) and headed to the 10th. After two near-perfect approach shots, Cabrera narrowly missed his fifteen-foot birdie putt. Adam Scott then stepped up and poured his twelve-footer into the center of the cup, unleashing a triumphant shout of "COME ON, AUSSIE!" and becoming the first Australian to ever win the Masters.

Bubba Watson vs. Louis Oosthuizen, 2012

Most remember this Sunday for Oosthuizen's incredible double eagle on the 2nd hole. But after 72 holes, he was tied with Bubba. They halved the first playoff hole (18) with pars. On the 10th, things looked lost for Bubba Watson after a wild tee shot left him deep in the woods, on a bed of pine straw without a clear shot at the green. What followed was genius. Watson saw a gap and hit a massive, hooking wedge shot that bent nearly 90 degrees around the trees, landing on the green. He two-putted for par, and it was enough to win when Oosthuizen couldn't get up and down.

Nick Faldo vs. Scott Hoch, 1989

This playoff is a raw display of pressure. On the first playoff hole (then #10), Scott Hoch faced a two-and-a-half-foot putt to win the Masters. He missed it. Stunned, they moved to the 11th hole. Faldo, given a second life, capitalized. He hit a stellar approach shot and calmly rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt to snatch the Green Jacket away. It shows that in a playoff, dealing with past mistakes - or capitalizing on your opponent’s - is what defines a champion.

The Golfer's Mindset: Strategy in a Playoff

From a coaching perspective, playoff golf isn’t just about making great swings, it’s about managing your mind and knowing the situation. The physical part of the game is there - every player in a playoff is world-class. It's the mental fortitude that separates the winner.

• The Quick Reset: A player has just endured the grind of a four-hour final round. They might have thought they had won, lost, or were heading home. The ability to wipe the slate clean, forget the last 72 holes, and focus solely on the next shot is absolutely vital.
• Play the Player, Not Just the Course: In regulation, you're competing against the entire field and the course itself. In a playoff, you’re in a match-play situation. If your opponent hits their tee shot into the trees on 18, your strategy might shift. Hitting an iron for safety off the tee instead of a driver could be the winning move. A risk you might've taken in regulation is now a bad gamble.
• Embrace the Adrenaline: The nervous energy is immense. The heart is pounding. The hands can feel shaky. The best players use that adrenaline to heighten their focus. They fall back on their pre-shot routine - a familiar sequence of actions that can calm the body and quiet the mind. Deep breaths, a clear target, and trusting the swing you’ve hit a thousand times is the recipe for success.

Final Thoughts

In short, the Masters playoff is a tense, sudden-death formatpitting players tied after 72 holes against each other on the 18th and 10th holes at Augusta. This high-stakes showdown has created some of golf’s most enduring moments of clutch performance and painful heartbreak.

While we may not face the pressure of a major championship playoff, we all face difficult shots that can make or break a round. Making a smart, committed decision in those moments is everything. I think that's why an on-demand coach like Caddie AI is so helpful. For any golfer, having the ability to get a sound strategic recommendation for a tricky lie or uncertain club choice builds the kind of confidence needed to execute a tough shot - just like a pro leaning on their caddie for a final bit of assurance before pulling the trigger.