PGA Championship playoff format: What is the playoff format at Quail Hollow?

The 2025 PGA Championship is entering the closing stages. 

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is currently holding off challenges from Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

But what happens if scores are tied after four rounds? Well, we head to a playoff. 

Golf's four major championships are governed by four different bodies, which means the formats differ at each tournament. 

The game's oldest major - The Open Championship - is run by the R&A. If scores are tied after 72 holes, the champion golfer of the year is decided by a four-hole aggregate playoff. 

As we saw at The Masters last month - where Rory McIlroy defeated Justin Rose - Augusta National uses a sudden-death playoff format that sees competitors alternate between the par-4 18th and par-4 10th.

The winner of the U.S. Open used to be decided over an 18-hole playoff but the USGA made the decision to switch to a two-hole aggregate playoff in 2018. 

Which brings us to the PGA Championship, which is run by the PGA of America. 

What is the playoff format at the PGA Championship?

The PGA of America confirmed the playoff format at the beginning of the week. 

The major uses a three-hole playoff aggregate to determine its champion, if two players are tied after four rounds. 

The player with the lowest score after these three selected holes is the winner. 

If a winner is still not found, then we head to a sudden-death playoff until a champion is determined. 

A playoff was required in 2022 when Justin Thomas defeated Will Zalatoris. 

Before that, current U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley clinched his sole major with a playoff victory over Jason Dufner. 

The PGA Championship has been decided by a playoff on 13 occasions. 

GolfMagic has listed the previous winners that have won the major via a playoff below. 

High-profile names that have won the PGA Championship in a playoff include the likes of Tiger Woods (2000) and Vijay Singh (2004).