NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — The historic leaderboard for the 2026 PGA Championship makes for a thrilling Sunday afternoon as leader jockeys jockey for position at Aronimink Golf Club, but it also creates a serious chance of being tied for first after 72 holes.
That would be the second major tournament of the year to go into a playoff, which was last seen at the 2022 PGA Championship, when Justin Thomas upset leader Will Zalatoris by seven strokes to win his second Wanamaker Trophy at Southern Hills.
If no one can pull away after Aronimink’s 72 holes, the same format will be in place in 2026.
The PGA Championship playoffs at Aronimink will be played over three holes instead of sudden death. Golfers play holes 10, 17, and 18 in order, and the combined score of those holes determines the champion.
If that is not enough to determine a winner, the playoff participants will play the 18th hole repeatedly in sudden death until a winner is determined.
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When Tiger Woods defeated Bob May at Valhalla in 2000, the PGA Championship changed from an instant sudden-death playoff to a three-hole total.
What makes this year so interesting is not only the potential playoffs, but the potential for multiple players to compete. There have only been two PGA Championship playoffs with more than two players, in 1978 and 2004, and if there were more than three players, it would be a PGA Championship record.
No matter how many players qualify for the playoffs, they will all be playing in the same group. This means that even if seven golfers are tied for first place, they will all play in the same group one after the other.
As Sunday afternoon approaches, it should become clear whether a playoff is needed. In that case, the tournament will be expanded to at least 75 holes to determine the winner.
Sunset is scheduled for 8:12 p.m. ET in suburban Philadelphia, and all eyes will be on whether there is a chance for a playoff, as the PGA of America must determine whether the tournament can be completed in time. If they don’t, they could come back Monday to win the championship.
