Ashleigh Buhai’s victory in the 2022 Women’s Open Championship at stately Muirfield was special — the playoff was not.
The Open Championship — the Claret Jug version that crowns the men’s “Champion Golfer Of The Year” — uses a four-hole aggregate playoff. The PGA of America uses a three-hole aggregate playoff for the PGA Championship and the USGA has gone to a two-hole aggregate for the men’s U.S. Open.
At Muirfield, Buhai and In Gee Chun went up and down the 18th a full four times before Chun finally blinked, drove her tee shot in a pot bunker right of the fairway and made bogey while Buhai made an sparkling par sand-save from the right greenside bunker.
Watching the ladies play that hole over and over and over again was tedious — probably even more tedious for the participants.
It was Groundhog Day on the links.
The women’s event really needs to take a cue from the men and go to some sort of aggregate playoff — four, three or even two holes.
No, no invitations to our Dog House on this week.
Just a suggestion!
2 Comments
baxter cepeda
I don’t know exactly how many holes they need to play. But totally agree I’m not a fan of playing the same hole over and over. Play 18 to start a playoff but then go to hole 1 or 10.
I remember being at that playoff with Pernilla and queen bee at the ANA, which ended up going to the next morning. They wasted so much time going back to the 18tee over and over. There was a pretty big crowd, which I’m sure most of them would not have followed to other holes. They could have easily played the 10th hole (or first hole) which runs parallel to 18 at Rancho mirage. At least that way it has regular golf flow. And not all these cart rides Through human traffic.
Tom Edrington
Baxter, I’m celebrating that we agree on something!!!