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The change, which also affects the U.S. Women's
Open, U.S. Senior Open and U.S. Senior Women's Open, takes
effect immediately in the event of a tie after 72 holes of
stroke play.
If players are tied after the two-hole playoff, the extra-holes
session will switch to sudden death.
"We know how important it is to everyone in the golf world to
see play conclude on the Sunday of a major championship, and to
award the trophy to the champion," USGA chief executive Mike
Davis said on Monday.
"After receiving input from a variety of constituents, including
players, fans, volunteers, officials and our broadcast partners,
it clearly came across as something that everyone valued, and
would benefit from."
The last U.S. Open decided by a playoff was in 2008 at Torrey
Pines where Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate were tied after 18
extra holes. Woods prevailed on a sudden death 19th hole to
collect the most recent of his 14 majors.
In its 117-year history, the U.S. Open has been settled by a
playoff on 33 occasions, by 18-hole and 36-hole formats.
The Masters scrapped its 18-hole playoff in 1976 in favor of
sudden death, followed by the PGA Championship a year later. The
British Open adopted a four-hole playoff in 1986. The PGA
Championship has since changed to a three-hole aggregate.
Davis said there was "no right or wrong way" to determine a
winner in stroke play, but felt a two-hole playoff allowed a
player to recover from a bad shot.
"Two holes will allow a player to recover from any single
mistake and, at the same time, provide a memorable, and perhaps
dramatic, experience for all involved," said Davis.
This year's U.S. Open will be played from June 14-17 at
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
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