PGA Tour Let Smotherman Warm Up On-Course Before Playoff
By Staff Writer
3 min read
LoopGolf
A windstorm that wiped out the final round of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship also scrambled the usual rules for playoff warm-ups. Austin Smotherman and Seamus Power finished Saturday's third round tied at 16 under, then waited roughly 38 hours before teeing off in a Monday sudden-death playoff at Port Royal — and the PGA Tour let both men warm up on the golf course rather than the driving range.
Key takeaways
- Gusts up to 40 mph forced the Tour to cancel Sunday's final round at Port Royal.
- Smotherman and Power waited about 38 hours for a Monday 8 a.m. sudden-death playoff.
- The Tour let both players warm up on the par-4 15th instead of the range, since the playoff hole required only short irons.
- The playoff lasted three trips to the par-3 16th before Power missed the green and failed to get up and down.
- It was Smotherman's second PGA Tour title in less than a month.
Why Was the Final Round Postponed?
Flag-bending gusts up to 40 mph made Port Royal unplayable on Sunday, and Tour officials scrapped the round rather than send the field out in the conditions. That pushed the playoff to 8 a.m. Monday, leaving Smotherman to kill a long, idle Sunday — sleeping in, ordering room service, walking into town for lunch and checking in with family by phone.
Why Did the Tour Allow On-Course Practice?
The playoff format called for sudden death to be decided entirely on the par-3 16th, meaning neither player would need anything longer than a 7- or 8-iron. The range faced the same crosswind but offered nothing resembling that shot, so the Tour's rules committee made an exception and let Smotherman and Power warm up on the par-4 15th instead, hitting into a similar wind direction. Wind strong enough to cancel a final round was still strong enough to rewrite how the eventual winner warmed up for it. A Tour spokesperson said the allowance wasn't unprecedented, citing the Corales Puntacana Championship, the CJ Cup at Byron Nelson and the Charles Schwab Cup as past events where pre-playoff on-course practice was permitted for similar logistical reasons.
Wind strong enough to cancel a final round was still strong enough to rewrite how the eventual winner warmed up for it.
How Did the Playoff Unfold?
Both players parred the 16th twice from 178 yards with 8-irons before Monday's third trip brought a shorter, 152-yard pin. Smotherman stuck his approach 16 feet left of the new hole location and two-putted for par. Power missed the green short and left, then failed to get up and down, handing Smotherman the title.
| Playoff hole | Yardage | Smotherman | Power | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st (No. 16) | 178 | Missed green, up-and-down par | Par | Tied, replay |
| 2nd (No. 16) | 178 | Hit green, two-putt from 76 feet | Par | Tied, replay |
| 3rd (No. 16) | 152 | Two-putt from 16 feet | Missed green, bogey | Smotherman wins |
"It's a fairy tale really right now," Smotherman said.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the Butterfield Bermuda Championship final round postponed?
Wind gusts up to 40 mph made Port Royal unplayable on Sunday, so the PGA Tour canceled the round and moved the tied leaders into a Monday sudden-death playoff.
Are golfers normally allowed to practice on the course before a PGA Tour playoff?
No, it's typically against the rules. Tour officials have made exceptions before, including at the Corales Puntacana Championship, the CJ Cup at Byron Nelson and the Charles Schwab Cup, usually for logistical reasons.
How many holes did the Smotherman-Power playoff last?
Three holes, all played on the par-3 16th at Port Royal, with the hole location moved to a shorter 152 yards for the deciding trip.
How many PGA Tour titles has Austin Smotherman won?
The Bermuda Championship was Smotherman's second PGA Tour title in less than a month.
- austin smotherman
- seamus power
- butterfield bermuda championship
- port royal golf course
- pga tour rules
- sudden-death playoff