Two golf icons, 37 holes. The final round of the 1970 Byron Nelson Open pitted two of the game’s greats at Dallas’ Preston Trail Golf Club.
Rains came early in the week, forcing the postponement of the opening round. That meant the superstars would be forced to play 36 holes on Sunday as adoring fans followed.
Both players opened Sunday with a round of 68, meaning Nicklaus held a slight edge heading into the final 18.
The Golden Bear found trouble on the final hole of regulation, however, as he hit the ball well off-line, but it was determined it had come to rest behind a TV tower. Officials indicated Nicklaus should be awarded a free drop.
He needed an up-and-down for victory, but couldn’t manage, and the two went to a playoff hole.
After giving away his edge, Nicklaus made up for it during the first extra hole, sticking his approach to inside two feet.
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Palmer, then 40, couldn’t manage birdie and Nicklaus took the title, a feat he a repeated the following year,
According to the Dallas Morning News, a call from the White House came just after the tournament ended. When Nicklaus picked up the phone, expecting to hear then-President Richard Nixon, an operator was on the line.
“What do you want with Mr. Palmer?” Nicklaus asked the operator, who was unaware who had won the playoff.
Nicklaus joked afterward, “I found out it was for Palmer, so I went out and got the trophy.”
Nicklaus won $20,000 by virtue of the victory while Palmer took home $11,400 for his second-place finish. Lee Trevino and John Schroeder tied for third, and each received $5,900.
Palmer never won the event, although he finished as the runner-up twice. The first time came in 1961, when he finished a stroke behind Earl Stewart.