Miller had only two PGA Tour victories when the day began, but he was marked for greatness - one of the best iron players on tour, and someone who had four Top 10 finishes in majors over the previous two years. He finished sixth at the 1973 Masters a couple months earlier.

Miller's round began about an hour before the leaders teed off. His lone bogey of the day happened on the eighth hole. But after that, Miller reeled off birdies on four of the next five holes. Miller tied the lead after a par on the 14th, and took the lead with a birdie on the 15th. He ended the round by lipping out a birdie putt on the 18th that would have given him a 62.

Then Miller waited to see if his 5-under 279 total would hold up. It did.

Palmer was still tied for the lead until bogeying the 12th, 13th and 14th holes, and wound up tied with Jack Nicklaus (who closed with a 68 but was never a threat on the final day) and Lee Trevino in fourth.

Boros and Heard, coleaders at the start of the day, shot 73s and tied for seventh.

Only Schlee and Tom Weiskopf - who began the day one stroke off the lead - had any chance to catch Miller, but neither could make the late birdies they needed (although both shot very good 70s, and Schlee nearly chipped in on the 18th to tie Miller).

The key for Miller, as it was throughout his career, was his iron play. He hit all 18 greens, with five approaches landing inside six feet of the cup and 10 inside 15 feet, according to the USGA tournament history.