1970 Masters Tournament
Front cover of the 1970 Masters Guide | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | April 9–13, 1970 |
| Location | Augusta, Georgia 33°30′11″N 82°01′12″W / 33.503°N 82.020°W |
| Course(s) | Augusta National Golf Club |
| Organized by | Augusta National Golf Club |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Statistics | |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 6,980 yards (6,383 m) |
| Field | 83 players, 48 after cut |
| Cut | 150 (+6) |
| Winner's share | $25,000 |
| Champion | |
| Billy Casper | |
| 279 (−9), playoff | |
| Location map | |
Location in Georgia | |
The 1970 Masters Tournament was the 34th Masters Tournament, held April 9–13 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. A field of 83 players started the tournament and 48 made the 36-hole cut at 150 (+6).
Billy Casper defeated Gene Littler 69 to 74 in an 18-hole playoff on Monday to win his third major championship. It was the last 18-hole playoff at the Masters; the format was changed to sudden-death in 1976 and first used in 1979. To get into the playoff, Casper scored a final round of 71 (−1), while Littler shot a 70 to tie at 279 (−9).
Jack Nicklaus shot 69-69 on the weekend, but was hampered by a second round 75 and finished in 8th place. It was the final Masters tournament as a player for 1938 champion Henry Picard, who withdrew without finishing the first round. Three-time Masters champion Sam Snead finished in a tie for 23rd place at the age of 57. It was the Masters debut of two-time champion Tom Watson, then a 20-year-old amateur from Stanford who shot 77-76 and missed the cut by three strokes.
Harold Henning won the eleventh Par 3 contest on Wednesday with a score of 21.
Dick Schaap's The Masters: The Winning of a Golf Classic covered in detail the 1970 tournament.