Playoff format for the PGA Championship: How it works, holes, history and more

There have been 13 PGA Championship playoffs in the stroke-play era, perhaps none more memorable than the Tiger Woods-Bob May duel in 2000 at Valhalla Golf Club.

This year’s 106th PGA Championship at Valhalla features a packed leaderboard into the final round, with a playoff very much in the realm of possibility. Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele shared the 54-hole lead at 15-under, with Sahith Theegala, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland and others nipping at their heels.

If the lead is tied after 72 holes, a three-hole aggregate playoff will ensue. Participants will draw numbers to determine who tees off first. The playoff holes will be Nos. 13, 17 and 18 at Valhalla Golf Club. Whichever player has the lowest combined score over the three holes will be deemed the champion. In the event of a tie after three playoff holes, the playoff will move to a sudden-death format, with the rotation of holes as follows: Nos. 18, 13, 17 and 18 repeated.

About the playoff holes: At 351 yards, No. 13 – called “The Limestone Hole" – is the shortest par 4 at Valhalla but is known for its island green and is the most photographed hole on the golf course. No. 17, named “Straight Up,” is a 472-yard par 4, while the 18th hole, named “Photo Finish,” is a par 5 that stretches to 570 yards.

There have been five PGA Championship playoffs using the current three-hole aggregate playoff:

• 2000: Tiger Woods def. Bob May
• 2004: Vijay Singh def. Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard
• 2010: Martin Kaymer def. Bubba Watson
• 2011: Keegan Bradley def. Jason Dufner
• 2022: Justin Thomas def. Will Zalatoris

There were eight playoffs prior to the introduction of the three-hole aggregate format, with the first two in 1961 and 1967 using an 18-hole playoff format and six using a sudden-death format.

• 1961: Jerry Barber def. Don January (18-hole playoff)
• 1967: Don January def. Don Massengale (18-hole playoff)
• 1977: Lanny Wadkins def. Gene Littler (sudden-death, won on third extra hole)
• 1978: John Mahaffey def. Jerry Pate and Tom Watson (sudden-death, won on second extra hole)
• 1979: David Graham def. Ben Crenshaw (sudden-death, won on third extra hole)
• 1987: Larry Nelson def. Lanny Wadkins (sudden-death, won on first extra hole)
• 1993: Paul Azinger def. Greg Norman (sudden-death, won on second extra hole)
• 1996: Mark Brooks def. Kenny Perry (sudden-death, won on first extra hole)