Prior to this weekend, it’s not too farfetched to believe that even casual golfers hadn’t heard of Harris English and Kramer Hickok.
Casual golfers also likely aren’t familiar with the 1949 Motor City Open -- but we’ll get to all that.
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Golf fans got to witness a bit of history on Sunday at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
Little did anyone know that after Hickok birdied the 72nd hole to force a playoff with English, that the two would enter the record books. English and Hickok ended up embarking on a playoff that joined six others for the second-longest playoff in PGA Tour history, with English finally ending it with a birdie on the eighth playoff hole.
Had English missed that putt, the playoff would have second place all to itself, and would have seriously threatened the record of 11 playoff holes set at the 1949 Motor City Open.
Regardless, it ended up being among the fifth-longest playoffs in tour history in which two players were involved in the playoff.
Here’s a look at the company English and Hickok joined in PGA Tour history.
1949 Motor City Open - The record-setter that took 11 playoff holes, this was played at Meadowbrook Country Club in Northville, Michigan. It would have lasted longer, but darkness prevented Cary Middlecoff and Lloyd Mangrum from continuing on any further. Middlecoff and Mangrum were declared co-winners.
2012 Mayakoba Golf Classic - With a par on the eighth playoff hole, John Huh beat Robert Allenby in Cancun. The playoff was set up after Allenby double-bogeyed the 72nd hole after having a two-shot lead.
1983 Phoenix Open - This took a bit longer because there were four golfers in the playoff. On the eighth playoff hole, Bob Gilder ended up prevailing over Rex Caldwell, Johnny Miller and Mark O’Meara.
1981 Quad Cities Open - Now known as the John Deere Classic, but still played in Illinois, Canadian Dave Barr outlasted Woody Blackburn, Frank Conner, Dan Halldorson and Victor Regalado to prevail on the eighth playoff hole.
1978 Greater Milwaukee Open - Lee Elder outlasted Lee Trevino with a par on the eighth playoff hole. Trevino forced the playoff by birdieing the 72nd hole.
1965 Azaela Open Invitational - A tournament that used to be played in Wilmington, North Carolina at Cape Fear Country Club, this also went eight playoff holes before Dick Hart prevailed over Phil Rodgers.