Bermuda Championship Cut to 54 Holes: Smotherman and Power Set for Monday Playoff

A weather cancellation becomes a change in the tournament's format

The PGA TOUR confirmed on October 25, 2026 that the Butterfield Bermuda Championship at Port Royal Golf Course in Southampton, Bermuda, will be scored over 54 holes rather than the originally scheduled 72. This is more than a simple postponement: the three completed rounds now determine the final standings for the field, except that a winner still has to be identified.

Because two players finished level at the top, Austin Smotherman and Seamus Power will contest a sudden-death playoff, provisionally scheduled for Monday, October 26 at 9 a.m. Bermuda local time (1 p.m. UTC). The start remains weather-dependent. A proposed tee time must not be mistaken for confirmation that conditions will permit play.

The official numbers: both leaders on 197

Smotherman finished his three rounds in 65, 66 and 66 strokes, reaching 16 under par (197). Power took a different route to the same total: 66, 64 and 67, also 197 (−16). The Irishman's second-round 64 was the lowest single round of the two leaders.

The next three players — Taylor Moore, Corey Conners and Ben Silverman — share third on 14 under (199). Their scores and placements will stand under the 54-hole decision. They are not part of the playoff because both co-leaders finished two shots ahead.

What changed on Sunday

Dangerous wind had already prevented the final round from starting. Gusts exceeded 40 mph, or roughly 64 km/h, and none of the 72 players who made the cut teed off on Sunday. Initially, a full Monday finish remained a possibility. The TOUR subsequently determined that the 54-hole standings would be final under its regulations, with only the two-man playoff remaining.

That distinction matters. The tournament has not been awarded jointly, nor has the scheduled playoff already happened. It is an effort to decide a single champion while avoiding an uncertain full fourth round.

Two very different stakes

Smotherman claimed his first PGA TOUR title earlier in October at the Bank of Utah Championship. A playoff victory would deliver his second title in the same month. Power won this Bermuda event in 2022 and is seeking a third career PGA TOUR win. FedExCup Fall positioning also makes the outcome significant for the Irishman's status in the coming season, although any projected ranking should be treated as provisional until the final result is recorded.

For now the facts are clear: 54 holes completed, two leaders tied at −16, the remainder of the leaderboard settled, and one trophy still awaiting a playoff. Weather will decide whether the proposed Monday morning start can go ahead.

Primary source: PGA TOUR announcement. Scores: official PGA TOUR leaderboard. Illustration: archival Kally Dru / Pexels photograph, not the Port Royal course or this event.