1970 Open Championship

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Use British English|date=August 2013}}

{{Infobox individual golf tournament

| name = 1970 Open Championship

| image =

| caption =

| dates = 8–12 July 1970

| location = St Andrews, Scotland

| course = Old Course at St Andrews

| tour =

| par = 72

| yardage = {{convert|6951|yd|m}}

| field = 134 players
80 after 1st cut
57 after 2nd cut

| cut = 149 (+5) (1st cut)
223 (+7) (2nd cut){{cite web|url=http://www.theopen.com/~/media/The%20Open/Information/Media_Guide.ashx |publisher=The Open Championship |title=Media guide |date=2011 |pages=52, 203 |access-date=9 May 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120418224641/http://www.theopen.com/~/media/The%20Open/Information/Media_Guide.ashx |archive-date=18 April 2012 }}

| purse = £40,000
$96,000

| winners_share = £5,250
$12,600

| champion = {{flagicon|USA}} Jack Nicklaus

| score = 283 (−5), playoff

| previous = 1969

| next = 1971

}}

{{Location map

|UK Scotland

|relief = 1

|label = St Andrews 

|lat = 56.343

|long = -2.803

|caption = Location in Scotland

|position =

|marksize = 5

|float =

|background =

|width = 230

}}

{{Location map

|Scotland Fife

|relief =

|label = St Andrews 

|position = bottom

|lat = 56.343

|long = -2.803

|caption = Location in Fife, Scotland

|marksize = 5

|float =

|background =

|width = 230

}}

The 1970 Open Championship was the 99th Open Championship, played 8–12 July at the Old Course in St Andrews, Scotland. Jack Nicklaus won the second of his three Opens in an 18-hole Sunday playoff over Doug Sanders, 72 to 73.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=15FAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=6818%2C2144115 |work=Glasgow Herald |title=Sanders loses by one stroke |date=13 July 1970 |page=1}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=15FAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2226%2C2175284 |work=Glasgow Herald |last=Jacobs |first=Raymond |title=Nicklaus regains Open title despite Sanders's late fightback |date=13 July 1970 |page=4}}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mTJWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eucDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2017%2C2751991|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard|location=(Oregon)|agency=Associated Press|title=Nicklaus tops Sanders, wins British title|date=13 July 1970|page=3B}} In gusty winds during the fourth round on Saturday, Sanders saved par from the Road Hole bunker and led by one heading to the 72nd hole. After a lengthy drive on the short par-4, he took four shots from just {{convert|74|yd}} and missed a downhill putt for par from three feet to win.{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mDJWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=eucDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6800%2C2342640|newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard|location=(Oregon)|agency=Associated Press|title=Sanders, Nicklaus tie for golf title|date=12 July 1970|page=4B}}{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1970/07/20/611153/virtue-in-the-valley-of-sin|magazine=Sports Illustrated |last=Jenkins |first=Dan |author-link=Dan Jenkins |title=Virtue in the Valley of Sin |date=20 July 1970 |page=12}}

This was the first playoff at The Open since 1963 and the first at 18 holes. The previous playoffs were 36 holes on Saturday. Prior to 1966, the final two rounds of The Open were played on Friday. The playoff format was changed again to the four-hole aggregate after the 1985 Open, first used in 1989.

A thunderstorm late in the opening round on Wednesday evening caused a suspension in play;{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1JFAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=1829%2C1569242 |work=Glasgow Herald |last=Jacobs |first=Raymond |title=Jacklin eight under par in Open when storm stops play |date=9 July 1970 |page=6}} it was competed early the next day.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1ZFAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AKUMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2204%2C1753527 |work=Glasgow Herald |last=Jacobs |first=Raymond |title=Trevino leads by one stroke from Jacklin and Nicklaus |date=10 July 1970 |page=6}}