Monty feels the heat in 1994

Play-offs have featured heavily down the years in the US Open since its inception in 1895 and were 36-hole affairs until 1931.

The first, in 1901, was won by Willie Anderson who beat Alex Smith at the Myopia Hunt Club, Hamilton, Massachusetts.

Every decade of the 20th century saw at least two US Open play-offs.

Five championships were decided by extra rounds in the 1920s ('23, '25, '27, '28, '29), and four in the 1960s ('62, '63, '65, '66).

The longest gap between play-offs was the 11 years separating Johhny Farrell's 1928 triumph over Bobby Jones at Olympia Fields, Illinois, and Jones' 1929 win over Al Espinosa at Winged Foot, New York.

Jones, one of the greatest golfers of all time, is one of a pair of players who have claimed victory in two US Open play-offs.

Three-time loser

Six years before his 1929 win, he played off and won against Bobby Cruickshank at Inwood, New York.

The only other two-time US Open play-off winner is Anderson, whose 1901 victory against Smith was followed in 1903 by a win over David Brown at Baltusrol, New Jersey.

Arnold Palmer won the US Open in 1960 but also came agonisingly close as the tournament's only three time play-off loser.

He lost out in 1962 to Jack Nicklaus at Oakmont, and again in 1963 to Julius Boros in a three-way decider with Jacky Cupit at Brookline, Massachusetts.

Irwin jumps for joy at Medinah in 1990

Three years later, "Arnie" was left empty-handed again, this time losing out to Billy Casper at the Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Memorable play-off triumphs include Hale Irwin's third US Open title, at the age of 45, at Medinah in 1990.

He holed a 60ft putt at the 18th on the final day to earn a play-off against Mike Donald. After the extra round failed to separate them, Irwin won at the first sudden death hole.

Two years earlier, Nick Faldo looked set to become the first British (and European) winner since Tony Jacklin in 1970.

But he hit three bogeys in the last four holes while America's Curtis Strange kept his nerve to win by four shots.

Lee Trevino's 1971 play-off success against Jack Nicklaus had touching context all of its own.

Biggest upset

A year earlier, the Golden Bear had taken Super-Mex to task over his boozing and general self-destructive behaviour.

"I hope you continue to go right on clowning and never realise how good you could become," he said, "because if you ever did, the rest of us might as well go home."

Nicklaus' words hit home and Trevino cleaned up his act.

He shot a 69 to win their play-off at Pennsylvania's Merion Golf Club by two strokes, and went on to win The Open at Birkdale.

Hogan endured agony to win in 1950

Perhaps the biggest play-off upset of the US Open's early years came in 1913, when Massachusetts amateur champion Francis Ouimet took on formidable English pros Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.

To their disbelief, Ouimet was two shots ahead by the 12th on the second extra round.

Ray fell by the wayside with a six at the 15th, then Vardon bogeyed the 17th while the amateur sailed on to win by five strokes.

Jones's win in 1923 is credited with turning around his career, but it owed as much to a last-hole blow-out by Cruickshank as it did to his own steady play.

The 1931 Open was the longest ever, thanks to Billy Burke and George von Elm's marathon play-off battle.

Von Elms birdied the last to tie the first 36 holes, forcing the pair into another 36, but Burke finally prevailed by one stroke. Thereafter, play-offs were cut to 18 holes.

Broken concentration

But Byron Nelson needed a second extra 18 holes to beat Craig Wood in 1939 after they had both shot 68s at the Philadelphia Country Club.

Sam Snead, who failed to make the 1939 play-off after dominating the first four rounds, lost out again in 1947 after a see-saw battle with Lew Worsham.

All square at the 18th, a dispute over who was to putt first broke Snead's concentration and he missed from 30.5 inches - exactly.

The bravest play-off victory was surely Ben Hogan's in 1950 at Merion.

Still in great pain after a car crash the year before, he forced his way into a three-way tie with Lloyd Mangrum and George Fazio and went on to win by four strokes.

See-saw battle

Is there a definitive greatest-ever US Open play-off?

Of the 31 that have taken place, the one which probably takes that honour is Palmer v Nicklaus in 1962 - The King v His Heir.

Nicklaus surged four shots ahead after eight holes at Oakmont only for Palmer to charge back, with birdies at the 9th, 10th and 11th.

But a bogey at the 13th left him two shots back again, and a gamble on the 18th led to him dropping another.