The PGA Tour has been home to some truly incredible feats and moments throughout the years.
One of the most exciting things to watch as fans is when a PGA Tour event heads into a sudden death play-off after 72 holes.
The tension is palpable in the sudden-death format, with the players involved well aware that one mistake could prove to be costly. They end in sheer elation for the victor, and utter heartbreak for the loser.
There have been plenty of exciting showdowns throughout the years, including six-man playoffs at the 2021 Wyndham Championship, the 2001 Nissan Open and the 1994 Byron Nelson Classic.
However, the Motor City Open way back in 1949 produced arguably the most memorable sudden death play-off in the history of the PGA Tour.
The longest play-off in PGA Tour history
We have to go way back to 1949 for the longest play-off in PGA Tour history.
The tournament was called the Motor City Open at the time, and Cary Middlecoff and Lloyd Mangrum entered into a play-off after both finishing 72 holes on 11-under par.
However, Middlecoff and Mangrum could not be separated that afternoon in Detroit.
The play-off went on, and on…and on. 11 holes were played before time was called on the sudden death showdown due to darkness.
And rather than return to the course the following day, both players were crowned champions in the end – an incredibly rare occurrence in the world of professional golf.
Somewhat fittingly, Mangrum won the next edition of the Motor City Open in 1950, while Middlecoff tasted glory at the event in 1952 and 1954.
Lloyd Mangrum and Cary Middlecoff left behind everlasting legacies
Middlecoff is tied 10th on the all-time list of PGA Tour wins with 39 to his name, including three majors.
Meanwhile, Mangrum is 13th on the list with 36 wins including a solitary major triumph.
Sadly, Mangrum passed away in 1973 while Middlecoff left us 25 years later.
Both left indelible marks on the game, with their wonderfully smooth swings still being studied all these years later.
The duo played on seven different Ryder Cups between them, with the United States winning all seven of those events.
Mangrum and Middlecoff were two of the greatest players of their generation, and on that day in Detroit 76 years ago, they set a PGA Tour record that still stands to this very day. Incredible stuff.