If the Sony Open in Hawaii is known for anything, it’s how often it has come to a playoff. And by the looks of it, the 2026 edition might end up no differently. With so many format and rule changes in the new year, has the playoff at the season opener also undergone an overhaul? Let’s have a look.

With players like Chris Gotterup, Robert MacIntyre, and Patrick Rodgers, among others, back and forth on the leaderboard, the fans must brace themselves for more than a single player tying for the 1st place. In such a situation, the Sony Open will use a sudden-death stroke-play playoff, the standard for the PGA Tour. Like every other year, there’s no change this time too.

To brush off everyone’s memories, the playoff will be in effect once the regulation play ends after 72 holes. The players who are tied for the lead will then return to the course. From there on, they will complete hole-by-hole until one of them scores lower than the rest on a single hole.

For the Waialae Country Club, the playoff will begin on the par-5 18th hole. Because it is within a reachable condition, the 18th hole often tempts its contenders to attack the green in two. Many a time, a single birdie or eagle is prompted by the golfers, and if they’re able to score outright, the playoff is over immediately.

But in case the golfers remain tied after the first extra hole, the structure becomes distinctive. They will return to the 18th hole again and repeat the process until a winner is determined. The rotation includes the par-4 10th hole and par-3 11th hole. The full sequence is 18,18,10, and 11.

Importantly, all the tied players remain in the playoff together until a winner is produced. There are no cuts here in the playoff. That means this multi-player playoff can stretch on for a long time, especially if the contenders are resilient.

Top Stories

Reactions Pour In as Jordan Spieth’s Strange On-Course Moves Catch Fans Off Guard

Wishes Pour in for Golf Legend After He Underwent Open Heart Surgery for Concerning Health Issue

‘He’s Mean’: Vijay Singh Put Ex-Caddie Through Serious Hardships as PGA Tour Looper Opens Up

Paige Spiranac Feels ‘Deeply Misunderstood’ as She Accepts Sad Reality About Golf Career

Tiger Woods’ $3.5B Sponsor Sues American Giant Callaway for Alleged Libel – Report

The Sony Open and its playoff history

The Sony Open has gone to a playoff 16 times since 1965. It is one of the more playoff-prone events on the PGA Tour calendar. Last year, too, the event ended in a playoff with Nick Taylor emerging as the ultimate winner after defeating Nico Echavarria. The year before that, it was Grayson Murray who outlasted An Byeong-hun and Keegan Bradley to lift the trophy.

Adding another layer of intrigue this year are some of the rule updates. The contentious preferred lies have been modified significantly. The distance used by golfers has now been reduced from a full club-length to roughly the length of a scorecard. On average, the scorecards are 11 inches in size. No golfer can take a relief more than that mark. This is meant to ensure no undue advantage is awarded to golfers with longer clubs.

Penalties have also been softened. Accidental ball movement now carries a one-stroke penalty rather than two. These changes might look small, but they matter in a tight condition. The winner in the end takes home a $1.6 million along with 500 FedEx Cup points and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.