The United States Golf Association have confirmed they are committed to an 18-hole play-off for the US Open despite the fact that they recently abandoned that format at the US Women's Open, despite the fact that it costs them money and is inconvenient to everyone and despite every other competition of similar standing having changed to a quicker means of determining a winner.

Readers have written in with suggestions as to what could be done to spare us the dreaded play-off, which might have taken the recent US Open at Bethpage Black in New York to Tuesday, a sixth day of competition.

Henry from Cardiff suggested that "instead of an 18 hole playoff why not put the players 85 yards from the hole and closest to the pin wins. One shot to win the US Open." The reply to that came from M Innecco of Bromley, who said: "the US Open has always had an 18-hole play-off and the format has always worked well for 109 Championships. Why change it now? The USGA know what they are doing and that is why the US Open is arguably the most difficult championship to win. A real test!!!!"

Tom from Crieff did not like Henry's suggestion because "...the fundamental aim of golf is to put the ball in the hole; near the hole isn't good enough."

Anyway, it is academic because David Fay, executive director of the USGA, has told The Spike Bar that this aspect of the second major championship of the year will remain. "Nope, we're not contemplating a change to the 18-hole playoff format," Fay wrote in a recent e-mail. "We like being unique."

It is something of an anachronism, rather like the USGA insisting that "lift, clean and place" should not be allowed in the US Open while at the same time allowing greens to be squeegeed for each competitor.

It is odd that the USGA should be so certain about how to determine the men's champion when in February 2007 the same committee changed the playoff format for the US Women's Open from 18 holes to a three-hole aggregate, to something similar to what the R & A do at the Open and the PGA of America do at the PGA Championship in other words.

"Our feeling is based on a number of factors" Mike Davis, the senior director, rules and competitions, of the USGA, said. "First the Women's Open has not been around so long and as much as we might hate to admit it, the Women's Open is a slightly different championship. There is the magnitude of the men's Open, its history.

"If we had an 18 hole play-off for the women there would be less interest, less spectator involvement, less media coverage. That is probably not the answer some want to hear. It is not a male v female thing. The US Open has huge crowds for its play-offs. The US Women's Open would not get that. We feel like this is the right way to go."

Davis confirmed there are discussions about the play-off every few years and he expects there to be more in the near future. "Everyody wants to finish on Sunday but as inconvenient as it is we believe it is the fairest and the best way to determine the champion," Davis said, adding: "it is not a cost thing because it costs us, perhaps, $500,000 to stage an 18-hole playoff. Television like it, too. You might think they would hate it but they don't. Big names in a play-off give them higher ratings."

Even golfers feel pinch from this 'Made-off' affair

Driving through East Hampton on Long Island in New York the other day my host pointed out one large and luxurious-looking house after another. "That one's empty. That one is unsold. Work has stopped on that one. Prices have gone down by 50 per cent."