Harper Lin
Golf has only recently returned to the Olympic Games, having been absent for over a century. It made its second consecutive appearance at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with the top 60 players in the world competing in the men's and women's tournaments. In the event of a tie for first, second, or third place, the medals are decided by a sudden-death playoff. For example, if two players tie for first place, they will compete in a sudden-death playoff, with the winner receiving the gold medal and the loser receiving silver. If there are more than four players tied for third, they may be split into two groups, with players knocked out as higher scores are achieved.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of players | 60 |
| Number of rounds | 4 |
| Qualifying criteria | Top 15 players in the world are automatically eligible, with a maximum of 4 players per country. Beyond the top 15, players are eligible based on world rankings, with a limit of 2 eligible players from each country that does not already have 2 or more players in the top 15. |
| Tie-breaking procedure | If players are tied for a medal position, there will be a 3-hole playoff. If there is still a tie, it will go to sudden death. |
| Notable participants | Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Reed (USA); Jon Rahm (Spain); Hideki Matsuyama (Japan); Justin Rose (Britain); Inbee Park (South Korea) |
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What You'll Learn
Sudden-death tiebreakers
There are no ties allowed for gold, silver, and bronze medals in Olympic golf competitions. If there is a tie for first, second, and/or third place, those medals are settled via sudden-death playoffs.
In the case of a tie for first place, the players involved will square off in a sudden-death playoff until a winner is decided, earning the gold medal, and the loser getting the silver. If there is a tie for third place, another playoff will be completed to decide who wins the bronze medal. If three or more players are tied for first place, a playoff will be held to determine the gold, silver, and bronze medalists. If there are three or more players tied for second place or any tie for third, the players will not receive a medal.
The PGA Tour does not have a uniform playoff format. Each event features its own playoff structure. In general, any players tied at the top of the leaderboard after 72 holes will compete in a playoff. This can take the form of a three-hole or four-hole playoff, with the player with the lowest aggregate score declared the winner. If the players remain tied after the playoff, they will continue in a sudden-death format until a winner is decided.
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No ties for gold, silver, and bronze medals
After a 112-year absence, golf returned to the Olympic Games in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. There are no ties allowed for gold, silver, and bronze medals in Olympic golf competitions. If there is a tie for a medal position, a three-hole playoff will be played. If there is still a tie after the three-hole playoff, it will go to sudden death.
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, England's Justin Rose captured the gold medal. Rose held off Sweden's Henrik Stenson, the then-reigning Open champion. Sudden death tiebreakers were used for men's medals. If Rose and Stenson had been tied after 18 holes, they would have headed to a sudden death playoff on a rotation of holes 18, 1, and 17 to settle the gold and silver medals.
There could also be a playoff for bronze if multiple players finish with the same third-place score. For example, in the 2016 Rio Olympics, American Matt Kuchar won the bronze medal. If there are more than four players tied for third, they could be broken up into two groups, then condensed as players are knocked out with higher scores.
In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Austria's Sepp Straka tied an Olympic record by making four birdies in his last six holes for an 8-under 63.
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Breaking ties for third place
There are no ties allowed for the top three positions in Olympic golf. If there is a tie for third place, a playoff will be completed to decide who wins the bronze medal. If there are more than four players tied for third, they may be broken up into two groups, and then condensed as players are knocked out with higher scores. If there are three or more players tied for second or any kind of tie for third place, then the players will walk away from the playoff without a medal. However, players who finish in the top seven earn what is called a diploma for their achievement.
In the event of a tie for first, second, and/or third place, those medals will be settled via sudden-death playoff. If two players are tied for first place, those players will square off in the sudden-death playoff until the winner is decided, earning the gold medal, and the loser getting the silver. If there is still a tie after the three-hole playoff, it will go to sudden death.
In golf, they can go back out and run through an extra playoff hole or two to quickly break a tie. They do that on Tour for first place, but never for second or third. That's what will happen should multiple players finish at or near the top with the same score.
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Playoff for bronze
There are no ties allowed for gold, silver, and bronze medals in Olympic golf competitions. If there is a tie for first place, the tied players will compete in a sudden-death playoff until a winner is decided. The winner receives the gold medal, and the loser receives the silver.
If there is a tie for third place, another playoff will be completed to decide who wins the bronze medal. If three or more players are tied for first place, the playoff will continue until there is a gold, silver, and bronze medalist. If there are three or more players tied for second place or any kind of tie for third, the players will not receive a medal. However, players who finish in the top seven earn a diploma for their achievement.
In the case of multiple players finishing with the same third-place score, a playoff for bronze will be held after all players have completed 18 holes. This playoff may involve multiple players and will be held concurrently with the gold and silver playoff if one is taking place.
If more than four players are tied for third, they may be divided into two groups, with players knocked out as higher scores are achieved.
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Ties for 11th place
In Olympic golf, there are no ties allowed for gold, silver, and bronze medals. However, in the event of a tie for 11th place or any other position outside the top three, a tie is allowed and will be recorded as such.
For example, at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Patrick Reed of the United States tied for 11th place with two other golfers. In this case, all three golfers were likely given the same ranking of 11th place in the final standings, with no tie-breaker required.
Similarly, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Sepp Straka of Austria tied an Olympic record by making four birdies in his last six holes for an 8-under 63. This exceptional performance tied him with Patrick Reed, highlighting the skill and competitiveness of both golfers.
Ties in Olympic golf are generally permitted and acknowledged, except for the top three medal positions, where a sudden-death playoff or other tie-breaker methods may be employed to determine the sole winner of each medal.
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Frequently asked questions
No, there are no ties allowed in Olympic golf.
If players are tied for a medal position, they will compete in a three-hole playoff. If there is still a tie after the three-hole playoff, it will go to sudden death.
Yes, in 2016, Patrick Reed tied for 11th place. In 2021, Sepp Straka tied an Olympic record by making four birdies in his last six holes for an 8-under 63.
