1961 PGA Championship


The 1961 PGA Championship was the 43rd PGA Championship, played July 27–31 at the North Course of Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois, a suburb south of Chicago. Jerry Barber, age 45, won his only major title in an 18-hole Monday playoff by one stroke over Don January, 67 to 68. It was the fourth edition as a stroke play event and the first playoff.
Rain washed out the second round on Friday afternoon with only about one-third of the field completing their rounds. The scores were scrapped and the second round was replayed on Saturday, with 36 holes on Sunday. Barber led at the midway point with a 136, two shots ahead of January and Doug Sanders. A top putter of the era, Barber sank of putts on the last three holes of the final round to erase a four-stroke deficit to January and force a Monday playoff. At the 72nd hole, January had a two-stroke lead, but put his tee shot into the sand. With Barber on the green but an improbable away, January played conservatively for the bogey. Barber drained his third lengthy putt in as many holes to even it up at the end of regulation.
In the playoff, the two were tied at three-under after 16 holes, following January's birdie. Both had pars at the 17th, which effectively turned the 18th hole into sudden-death. Both tee shots found fairway bunkers, and Barber hit a 3-iron onto the green, from the cup. January found another bunker short of the green and could not save par from.
At age 45, Barber became the oldest winner of the PGA Championship, whose previous champions were all under age 40, with several at age 39. At the time, the only older major winner was Old Tom Morris at age 46 in 1867. Barber was surpassed in 1968 by Julius Boros at age 48.
It was the third major championship at Olympia Fields Country Club; it previously hosted the PGA Championship in 1925 and the U.S. Open in 1928. The four 18-hole courses at Olympia Fields were reduced to two in the 1940s when the club sold half of its property. Course 4 became the North course, and the South course is a composite of holes form the other three. The North Course later hosted the U.S. Open in 2003, won by Jim Furyk.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

Missed the cut

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Round summaries

First round

Thursday, July 27, 1961
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Art Wall, Jr.67−3
T2Jay Hebert68−2
T2Ernie Vossler68−2
T4Jerry Barber69−1
T4Doug Ford69−1
T4Bill Heinlein69−1
T7Buster Cupit70E
T7Don Fairfield70E
T7Jack Fleck70E
T7Paul Harney70E
T7Shelley Mayfield70E
T7Bob Rosburg70E
T7Doug Sanders70E

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Second round

Friday, July 28, 1961
Saturday, July 29, 1961
Play in the second round on Friday was ended by heavy rain in the early afternoon, with 54 of the 166 rounds completed. All scores were scrapped and the round was replayed on Saturday.
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Jerry Barber69-67=136−4
T2Don January72-66=138−2
T2Doug Sanders70-68=138−2
4Art Wall, Jr.67-72=139−1
T5Jay Hebert68-72=140E
T5Ted Kroll72-68=140E
T5Ernie Vossler68-72=140E
T8Don Fairfield70-71=141+1
T8Gene Littler71-70=141+1
T8Bob Rosburg70-71=141+1

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Third round

Sunday, July 30, 1961
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Don January72-66-67=205−5
2Jerry Barber69-67-71=207−3
T3Wes Ellis71-71-68=210E
T3Ted Kroll72-68-70=210E
5Johnny Pott71-73-67=211+1
T6Paul Harney70-73-69=212+2
T6Jay Hebert68-72-72=212+2
T6Doug Sanders70-68-74=212+2
T6Art Wall, Jr.67-72-73=212+2
T10Gardner Dickinson71-71-71=213+3
T10Bob Goalby73-72-68=213+3

Final round

Sunday, July 30, 1961
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney
T1Jerry Barber69-67-71-70=277−3Playoff
T1Don January72-66-67-72=277−3Playoff
3Doug Sanders70-68-74-68=280E3,600
4Ted Kroll72-68-70-71=281+13,100
T5Wes Ellis71-71-68-72=282+22,209
T5Doug Ford69-73-74-66=282+22,209
T5Gene Littler71-70-72-69=282+22,209
T5Arnold Palmer73-72-69-68=282+22,209
T5Johnny Pott71-73-67-71=282+22,209
T5Art Wall, Jr.67-72-73-70=282+22,209

Playoff

Monday, July 31, 1961
PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney
1Jerry Barber35-32=67−311,000
2Don January34-34=68−25,500

Scorecard

BirdieBogeyDouble bogey

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