1970
In the last 18-hole playoff at the Masters, Billy Casper defeated Gene Littler to win his third major title.
1971
The Masters is famously known as the men’s first major championship of the year. That wasn’t the case in 1971, as the PGA Championship was played in Florida, in February, and won by Jack Nicklaus.
1972
The first Masters played without tournament founder and host Bobby Jones, who died at 69 years old in December 1971. On a more pleasant note, CBS commentator Jack Whitaker returned to the broadcast after a five year hiatus for referring to the gallery as a “mob” in 1966.
1973
Before Tommy Aaron’s 1973 win, the 36-year-old was known as the player who goofed on Roberto De Vicenzo’s scorecard in 1968, keeping him out of a playoff. Ready for some more irony? Johnny Miller messed up a score on Aaron’s scorecard in the final round, but he caught the mistake and left Augusta with the Green Jacket.
1974
After missing the 1973 tournament due to surgery, Gary Player bounced back to win his second of three Masters titles.
1975
Lee Elder became the first African-American to compete at the Masters. He missed the cut.
1976
Raymond Floyd was the Masters’ fourth wire-to-wire winner with his eight stroke besting of runner-up Ben Crenshaw.
1977
Tom Watson had been known for choking in the final round of tournaments early in his career, but the 27-year-old squashed that thought in 1977 with his first of two green jackets, besting runner-up Jack Nicklaus by two strokes. It was just one of the 19 times that Nicklaus, the 18-time major champion, finished runner-up at a major.
1978
Thanks to a casual Sunday 8-under 64, Gary Player overcame a seven-shot final round deficit to win his third Masters.
1979
In the first sudden-death playoff at the Masters, Fuzzy Zoeller won his only Masters title with a birdie on the playoff’s second hole.
(Click next for 1980-1989)
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