British Open playoff format 2024: Open Championship tiebreaker rules at Royal Troon

The British Open Championship at vaunted Royal Troon Golf Club has been a jampacked leaderboard basically from start to finish. Even with the likes of Shane Lowry taking a firm lead at times, we've seen virtually every leader fall back to the field with the extremely difficult conditions created by the combination of a tough links-style golf course and the windy, wet conditions that define The Open Championship oftentimes.

As such, we entered Sunday's final round of the British Open Championship with a host of contenders in the mix. Billy Horschel held the solo lead but with the likes of Thriston Lawrence, Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, Russell Henley and more all within striking distance. And it seemed as if we could be heading toward a playoff based on how the week had gone to that point.

So naturally, that had fans asking what exactly the British Open Championship playoff format is and how a winner is determined if players are tied after 72 holes. We have you covered!

British Open Championship playoff format as of 2024

The British Open will have a four-hole aggregate playoff if players are tied for the lead after 72 holes of play at Royal Troon in 2024. The holes played for the playoff will be Nos. 1, 2, 17 and 18, which is three Par 4s and then the Par 3 17th hole. If players are still tied after the four-hole playoff, it will then be a sudden-death playoff between the remaining tied contenders as they will play the 18th hole until a winner is determined.

This format for a playoff at the British Open Championship is unique and actually the longest in its standard format. The US Open used a two-hole aggregate playoff while the PGA Championship is a three-hole aggregate playoff. Meanwhile, The Masters is just simply a sudden-death playoff.

Last playoff finish at the British Open Championship

The last playoff at the British Open came in 2015 for the tournament at St. Andrews. That tournament was won when Zach Johnson prevailed in the four-hole aggregate playoff over Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman to hoist the Claret Jug.

It's also worth noting that Royal Troon has produced two playoff finishes over the past 40 years and four tournaments played there. While Henrik Stenson pulled away from Phil Mickelson to win in 2016, Todd Hamilton outlasted Ernie Els at the 2004 British Open Championship to capture his surprising Claret Jug. Then, in 1989, it was Mark Calcavecchia who emerged victorious in a playoff over Greg Norman and Wayne Grady in what was actually the first playoff at this championship using the four-hole aggretage after the format was changed in 1985.