An 18-hole playoff with Nicklaus followed the next day, and Sanders stayed with the Golden Bear throughout. On the last hole, though, Nicklaus didn't miss when he had a winning putt. Nicklaus drove over the 18th green, chipped to eight feet, and sank the birdie putt.

And that's where the thrown putter comes in. Uncharacteristically, Nicklaus flung his putter into the air when that winning putt dropped, overcome with joy at winning on the Old Course, the home of golf. Nicklaus defeated Sanders the playoff 72 to 73.

Sanders won 20 times in his PGA Tour career, and finished second in majors four times. But he never won a major. For Nicklaus, this was second British Open victory and eighth overall major. It also ended a three-year drought for Nicklaus during which he went winless in majors, the longest such period in his career to this point.