The Open Championship will use a three-hole playoff at Royal Birkdale in 2026 if the tournament is tied after 72 holes. That means the British Open playoff format is now set for the next time the championship needs extra golf to decide a winner.
Sam Burns enters the final round at The Open with a two-shot lead, but the playoff rules matter because ties can still happen over 72 holes. If that happens at Royal Birkdale, the champion will be decided over the par-5 14th, the par-3 15th and the par-4 18th.
How the playoff will work
The three-hole playoff is a change from the older formats The Open has used in the past. The championship switched from an 18-hole playoff to a four-hole aggregate in 1989, then adapted the three-hole playoff format in 2019. The 2026 setup continues that approach at one of the sport's most familiar venues.
Royal Birkdale has already seen The Open decided by playoff once before, in 1998. The course in Southport will now host the championship again with a clear tiebreak procedure in place if the tournament is still level after regulation.
What it means for 2026
For players, the format adds pressure to close out a tied championship quickly. Three holes leave less room for recovery than a full round, but more opportunity than a sudden-death finish would. The par-5 opening hole in the playoff sequence also creates a chance to make an early move before the par-3 15th and par-4 18th finish the job.
For fans, the important part is simple: if The Open is tied after 72 holes in 2026, Royal Birkdale will decide the title over three holes, not 18. That gives the championship a defined, concise finish if the leaderboard is still packed on Sunday evening.
