How Long Does a Golf Tournament Last? Complete Tournament Duration Guide
A professional golf tournament typically spans four days, running from Thursday to Sunday, with players completing 18 holes each day for a total of 72 holes. However, the actual duration can vary depending on several factors.
For standard PGA Tour events, players tee off in groups starting early morning, usually around 7:00 AM, with the last groups finishing around 7:00 PM. Each round takes approximately 4-5 hours for a group to complete.
The tournament structure follows a specific format:
• Thursday and Friday: All players compete (usually 144-156 players) • After Friday: The field is cut to top 65 players plus ties • Saturday and Sunday: Remaining players compete for the championship
Weather conditions can significantly impact tournament length. Rain delays, lightning, or other severe weather may extend play into Monday or, in rare cases, Tuesday. Tournament officials build in contingency plans for such situations.
Major championships like The Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, and The Open Championship follow the same four-day format but often feature larger fields and stricter cut rules. These events typically draw more spectators and media attention, which can affect pace of play.
Some tournaments have different formats:
• Three-day events (54 holes) • Five-day events (90 holes) • Match play tournaments • Team events like the Ryder Cup
For spectators planning to attend, I recommend allocating:
• 6-8 hours for a single day visit • 2-3 days to experience different aspects of the tournament • All 4 days to follow the complete story of the competition
Practice rounds occur on Monday through Wednesday before the tournament begins. While these aren't part of the official competition, they're popular with spectators who want to see players in a more relaxed environment.
If a tournament ends in a tie, a playoff follows immediately after the final round. These can be either sudden-death format or a predetermined number of holes, potentially adding 1-2 hours to the event's duration.
Professional tournaments also include pre-event activities like press conferences and pro-am events, but these don't count toward the official tournament duration.