American professional golfer (1929–2023)
Donald Ray January (November 20, 1929 – May 7, 2023) was an American professional golfer , best known for winning the 1967 PGA Championship .
Early life
Born in Plainview, Texas , January graduated from Sunset High School in Dallas. He was a member of the North Texas State golf team that won four consecutive NCAA Division I titles from 1949 to 1952. January is a member of the Sunset High School Hall of Fame.
While in college as a sophomore, as part of his scholarship, January helped teach a beginning golf class, where he met his future wife, Patricia "Pat" Rushing. They both graduated in 1953 and eloped to Ardmore, Oklahoma . They lived in San Antonio while Don was in the Air Force , and began their family—two boys and a girl.[ 1]
Professional career
January won 10 PGA Tour titles, though never more than one in a year, with his most notable at the 1967 PGA Championship , an 18-hole playoff victory over Don Massengale . January had lost the 1961 PGA Championship in a playoff to Jerry Barber when his 68, the lowest losing score ever in an 18-hole playoff for a major championship, was bested by Barber's 67. He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average in 1976 at the age of 47. He was a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in both 1965 and 1977.
January was responsible for a change to the rules of golf . During the 1963 Phoenix Open , January had a putt roll up to the lip of the hole and stop. January claimed that the ball was still moving, and waited for seven minutes for the ball to drop (it never did).[ 2] [ 3]
In the period between his last PGA Tour win and the start of the Senior PGA Tour, January devoted most of his professional efforts to a golf course design business, JanMart Enterprises, which he established with fellow Texan and PGA Tour golfer Billy Martindale .
January is well known for his success on the Senior PGA Tour (now the PGA Tour Champions ),[ 4] PGA Seniors' Championships . In 1980, he won the first official event on the Senior PGA Tour—the Atlantic City Senior International .[ 5]
The Don January Golf Classic is a golf tournament played annually in the spring that was established to honor him in 1990 by his alma mater, now known as the University of North Texas .
January appeared as himself on the March 6, 1961 episode of the game show To Tell the Truth [ 6]
Death
January died at his home in Dallas on May 7, 2023, at the age of 93.[ 7] [ 8]
Legend
Major championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (9)
No.
Date
Tournament
Winning score
Margin of
Runner(s)-up
1
May 27, 1956
Dallas Centennial Open
−12 (64-67-70-67=268)
1 stroke
Dow Finsterwald , Doug Ford
2
Feb 21, 1960
Tucson Open Invitational
−9 (67-67-68-69=271)
3 strokes
Bob Harris
3
Jul 9, 1961
St. Paul Open Invitational
−19 (66-71-68-64=269)
1 stroke
Buster Cupit
4
Feb 17, 1963
Tucson Open Invitational (2)
−22 (65-67-69-65=266)
11 strokes
Gene Littler , Phil Rodgers
5
Aug 28, 1966
Philadelphia Golf Classic
−10 (69-69-69-71=278)
1 stroke
Jack Nicklaus
6
Jul 24, 1967
PGA Championship −7 (71-72-70-68=281)
Playoff
Don Massengale
7
Apr 21, 1968
Tournament of Champions
−8 (70-68-69-69=276)
1 stroke
Julius Boros
8
Mar 23, 1970
Greater Jacksonville Open
−9 (68-75-70-66=279)
Playoff
Dale Douglass
9
Oct 19, 1975
San Antonio Texas Open
−13 (71-67-71-66=275)
Playoff
Larry Hinson
10
Apr 18, 1976
MONY Tournament of Champions (2)
−11 (71-68-69-69=277)
5 strokes
Hubert Green
PGA Tour playoff record (3–5)
No.
Year
Tournament
Opponent(s)
Result
1
1956
Western Open
Mike Fetchick , Doug Ford ,Jay Hebert
Fetchick won 18-hole playoff;
2
1961
PGA Championship Jerry Barber
Lost 18-hole playoff;
3
1964
Lucky International Open
Chi-Chi Rodríguez
Lost 18-hole playoff;
4
1967
PGA Championship Don Massengale
Won 18-hole playoff;
5
1969
Kaiser International Open Invitational
George Archer , Billy Casper ,Jack Nicklaus
Nicklaus won with birdie on second extra hole
6
1970
Greater Jacksonville Open
Dale Douglass
Won 18-hole playoff;
7
1971
Houston Champions International
Hubert Green
Lost to birdie on first extra hole
8
1975
San Antonio Texas Open
Larry Hinson
Won with birdie on second extra hole
This list may be incomplete
Legend
Senior major championships (1)
Other Senior PGA Tour (21)
No.
Date
Tournament
Winning score
Margin of
Runner(s)-up
1
Jun 22, 1980
Atlantic City Senior International
−5 (68-71-69=208)
2 strokes
Mike Souchak
2
Apr 5, 1981
Michelob-Egypt Temple Senior Classic
−8 (71-70-72-67=280)
Playoff
Doug Ford
3
Jun 7, 1981
Eureka Federal Savings Classic
−5 (71-69-68=208)
2 strokes
Bob Goalby
4
Apr 4, 1982
Michelob Senior Classic (2)
−10 (73-69-67-69=278)
3 strokes
Dow Finsterwald
5
Dec 5, 1982
PGA Seniors' Championship E (74-75-69-70=288)
1 stroke
Julius Boros
6
Jun 5, 1983
Gatlin Brothers Seniors Golf Classic
−8 (71-67-68=208)
Playoff
Billy Casper
7
Jun 26, 1983
Peter Jackson Champions
−10 (68-67-71-68=274)
2 strokes
Miller Barber
8
Jul 3, 1983
Marlboro Classic
−11 (69-72-68-64=273)
3 strokes
Miller Barber , Gay Brewer
9
Aug 21, 1983
Denver Post Champions of Golf
−17 (70-65-67-69=271)
4 strokes
Billy Casper , Doug Sanders
10
Sep 4, 1983
Citizens Union Senior Golf Classic
−19 (67-67-65-70=269)
3 strokes
Bob Stone
11
Oct 16, 1983
Suntree Classic
−14 (69-66-68-71=274)
3 strokes
Arnold Palmer
12
Mar 25, 1984
Vintage Invitational
−8 (70-72-72-66=280)
4 strokes
Miller Barber
13
Aug 12, 1984
du Maurier Champions (2)
−19 (65-63-66=194)
5 strokes
Miller Barber , Lee Elder
14
Sep 23, 1984
Digital Middlesex Classic (2)
−7 (70-70-69=209)
4 strokes
Orville Moody
15
Mar 24, 1985
Senior PGA Tour Roundup
−18 (65-69-64=198)
3 strokes
Gene Littler
16
May 12, 1985
Dominion Seniors
−10 (69-70-67=206)
2 strokes
Gay Brewer
17
May 19, 1985
United Hospitals Senior Golf Championship
−5 (69-66=135)*
5 strokes
Al Balding
18
Jul 7, 1985
The Greenbrier American Express Championship
−16 (70-64-66=200)
2 strokes
Lee Elder
19
Jun 8, 1986
Senior Players Reunion Pro-Am
−13 (66-68-69=203)
2 strokes
Chi-Chi Rodríguez
20
Jul 13, 1986
The Greenbrier American Express Championship (2)
−9 (70-66-71-207)
Playoff
Jim Ferree
21
Nov 2, 1986
Seiko-Tucson Senior Match Play Championship
E (70)
1 stroke
Bob Charles
22
Jan 10, 1987
MONY Senior Tournament of Champions
−1 (67-72-73-75=287)
Playoff
Butch Baird
*Note: The 1985 United Hospitals Senior Golf Championship was shortened to 36 holes due to rain.
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (4–1)
Major championships
1 Defeated Massengale in an 18-hole playoff, 69 to 71.
Results timeline
Note: January never played in The Open Championship .
Win
Top 10
Did not play
CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1964 PGA Championship)
Summary
Most consecutive cuts made – 10 (twice)
Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (1976 PGA – 1977 PGA)
Champions Tour major championships
U.S. national team appearances
Professional
See also
References
^ Hulstrand, Randena. "On par for success" . North Texas Mean Green . Retrieved May 8, 2023 . ^ "Player cools heels 7 minutes; Misses putt, miffed at January" . Milwaukee Sentinel . Associated Press. February 15, 1963. p. 4, part 2.^ Zullo, Allan (2001). Astonishing but True Golf Facts ISBN 0-7407-1426-0 ^ "Golfer profile: Don January" . Las Vegas Review-Journal . April 21, 1998. Archived from the original on June 25, 2003.^ Bingham, Walter (February 16, 1998). "Built To Last" . Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2011 . ^ "To Tell The Truth" . You Tube . CBS Television. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2019 .^ "Don January, Who Won the 1967 P.G.A. Title, Is Dead at 93" The New York Times . May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023 .^ "Major champion Don January dies at 93" . PGA Tour. May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023 .^ a b "Don January" . Chicago Tribune . August 4, 1988. Retrieved May 7, 2020 .^ "Golf: Champions warn opponents" . The Canberra Times . June 18, 1981. p. 27. Retrieved March 3, 2020 .
External links
† indicates the event was won in a playoff
Won : 19.5 – 12.5
Johnny Pott : Made the team, but did not participate in the event due to a back injury.
