Playoffs? Don’t talk to me about Playoffs

 

For golf, it rarely gets more exciting. The 158^th ranked Rocco Mediate watched on as the US open came down to two shots. Two difficult birdie putts, and as Lee Westwood’s 20 plus foot attempt slipped by the right of the cup, it was just the legendary Tiger Woods left

After hobbling around 72 holes worth of Torrey Pines, an uncharacteristic final round from Woods saw him needing a 12 foot putt to somehow rescue a playoff after a number of poor shot selections saw him blow a last day lead.

With the tension escalating after Westwood’s miss, it was all or nothing. With fingernails all but non-existent Woods lined up, composed himself and sank the putt. The crowd erupted as Woods pumped his fists in a moment of sheer emotion. And then that was it; everyone packed up and went home.

It was a magnificent moment, and it was one that needed closure. Not a day later, strung out over 18 holes in the hope that it might, just might, still be close come the 18^th. As Wood’s ball curved into the cup Sunday night, the atmosphere would have been electric. Why kill that by having them come back the next day to play another 18?

Questioning the motives behind the decision to scrap a sudden death playoff is somewhat of a fruitless endeavour. I’m not so cynical as to say it’s purely a moneymaking exercise but that’s not to say I wouldn’t put it past the USGA. Nor would I be surprised if it was simply a quirk from the open that saw it’s first sub-par score in four years yesterday. The argument that it’s “fairer” is one I do not buy however.

If you can’t separate golfers through four whole rounds, then it makes sense to bring in another method. The field has been whittled down to just two, is it necessary to play another 18 to fulfil the criteria of being fair?

Perhaps the outcome of today’s clash will change something; maybe it’ll be different next year with a new system. 

But do I dare miss it? Not a chance.