Sam Burns hopes his surprising three-round lead at The Open Championship doesn’t end the same way as Brian Watts’s did in 1998. That was the only other time Royal Birkdale saw The Open head to a playoff.
Watts entered the final round that year with a two-shot lead over Mark O’Meara, who also won the Masters in April. The 41-year-old O’Meara charged ahead on the last day, and Watts needed a furious late comeback just to force the playoff before eventually falling short. It could have been worse: Tiger Woods missed joining in the playoff by a single stroke.
Coming off a record-tying round of 62 and a scintillating 65 the following day, Burns wouldn’t mind avoiding the excitement of the 21st playoff in British Open history (technically it would be the 22nd, but Davie Strath refused to take part in a 36-hole playoff against Bob Martin way back in 1876). He closed Round 3 with a two-shot lead of his own over Ryan Fox and Si Woo Kim. Bryson DeChambeau and Ludvig Åberg lurked four strokes back, while local legend Tommy Fleetwood has all of Southport cheering him on.
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Scottie Scheffler won’t give up the claret jug easily, and he’s one of 19 within six shots heading into the final round. Burns nearly forced a playoff in June’s U.S. Open with a seven-stroke comeback before Wyndham Clark righted the ship and closed out the victory.
If Burns or any other contenders find themselves facing a playoff today, here’s what to expect.
What is The Open playoff format?
If there’s a tie for the lead after 72 holes at the 2026 British Open, the players atop the leaderboard will play three more holes: the par-5 14th, par-3 15th and par-4 18th. The golfer with the best score over those holes will be the champion. If there’s still a tie after that, the players will repeat No. 18 until someone finally finishes with a better score.
The Open switched from an 18-hole playoff to a four-hole aggregate in 1989, using that format eight times before adapting the three-hole playoff format in 2019.
Open Championship playoff history
How to watch The Open 2026: TV schedule, streaming info
Round 4 of the 2026 British Open will broadcast nationally on USA starting at 5 a.m. before switching to NBC at 7 a.m. Streaming options include Sling, which carries USA Network, and Fubo, which carries NBC. Featured group and hole streaming is available on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s subscription streaming service, throughout the day.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: If The Open goes to a playoff, here’s what happens at Royal Birkdale
Reporting by Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dan Rorabaugh, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida | USA TODAY Network
