Don January


Donald Ray January is an American retired 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.
While in college as a sophomore, as part of his scholarship, he 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.

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. Rule 16-2 was revised in 1964 to state that players had to tap the ball in within ten seconds or be penalized.
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, that he had established with fellow Texan and PGA Tour golfer Billy Martindale.
January is well known for his success on the Senior PGA Tour, winning 22 events including two PGA Seniors' Championships. He won the first official event on the Senior PGA Tour – the 1980 Atlantic City Senior International.
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.
In 1961, January appeared as himself on the March 6 episode of the game show to To Tell the Truth. He received two votes.

Professional wins (45)

PGA Tour wins (10)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1May 27, 1956Dallas Centennial Open−12 1 stroke Dow Finsterwald, Doug Ford
2Feb 21, 1960Tucson Open Invitational−9 3 strokes Bob Harris
3Jul 9, 1961St. Paul Open Invitational−19 1 stroke Buster Cupit
4Feb 17, 1963Tucson Open Invitational −22 11 strokes Gene Littler, Phil Rodgers
5Aug 28, 1966Philadelphia Golf Classic−10 1 stroke Jack Nicklaus
6Jul 24, 1967PGA Championship−7 Playoff Don Massengale
7Apr 21, 1968Tournament of Champions−8 1 stroke Julius Boros
8Mar 23, 1970Greater Jacksonville Open−9 Playoff Dale Douglass
9Oct 19, 1975San Antonio Texas Open−13 Playoff Larry Hinson
10Apr 18, 1976MONY Tournament of Champions −11 5 strokes Hubert Green

PGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11956Western Open Mike Fetchick, Doug Ford,
Jay Hebert		Fetchick won 18-hole playoff;
Fetchick: −6,
Hebert: −1,
Ford: E,
January: +3
21961PGA Championship Jerry BarberLost 18-hole playoff;
Barber: −3,
January: −2
31964Lucky International Open Chi-Chi RodríguezLost 18-hole playoff;
Rodríguez: −1,
January: E
41967PGA Championship Don MassengaleWon 18-hole playoff;
January: −3,
Massengale: −1
51969Kaiser International Open Invitational George Archer, Billy Casper,
Jack Nicklaus		Nicklaus won with birdie on second extra hole
January eliminated with birdie on first hole
61970Greater Jacksonville Open Dale DouglassWon 18-hole playoff;
January: −3,
Douglass: E
71971Houston Champions International Hubert GreenLost to birdie on first extra hole
81975San Antonio Texas Open Larry HinsonWon with birdie on second extra hole

Other wins (2)

This list may be incomplete
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory		Runner-up
1Jun 22, 1980Atlantic City Senior International−5 2 strokes Mike Souchak
2Apr 5, 1981Michelob-Egypt Temple Senior Classic−8 Playoff Doug Ford
3Jun 7, 1981Eureka Federal Savings Classic−5 2 strokes Bob Goalby
4Apr 4, 1982Michelob Senior Classic −10 3 strokes Dow Finsterwald
5Dec 5, 1982PGA Seniors' ChampionshipE 1 stroke Julius Boros
6Jun 5, 1983Gatlin Brothers Seniors Golf Classic−8 2 strokes Miller Barber
8Jul 3, 1983Marlboro Classic−11 3 strokes Miller Barber, Gay Brewer
9Aug 21, 1983Denver Post Champions of Golf−17 4 strokes Billy Casper, Doug Sanders
10Sep 4, 1983Citizens Union Senior Golf Classic−19 3 strokes Bob Stone
11Oct 16, 1983Suntree Classic−14 3 strokes Arnold Palmer
12Mar 25, 1984The Vintage Invitational−8 4 strokes Miller Barber
13Aug 12, 1984du Maurier Champions −19 5 strokes Miller Barber, Lee Elder
14Sep 23, 1984Digital Middlesex Classic −7 4 strokes Orville Moody
15Mar 24, 1985Senior PGA Tour Roundup−18 3 strokes Gene Littler
16May 12, 1985Dominion Seniors−10 2 strokes Gay Brewer
17May 19, 1985United Hospitals Senior Golf Championship−5 5 strokes Al Balding
18Jul 7, 1985The Greenbrier American Express Championship−16 2 strokes Lee Elder
19Jun 8, 1986Senior Players Reunion Pro-Am−13 2 strokes Chi-Chi Rodríguez
20Jul 13, 1986The Greenbrier American Express Championship −9 Playoff Jim Ferree
21Nov 2, 1986Seiko-Tucson Match Play ChampionshipE 1 stroke Bob Charles
22Jan 10, 1987MONY Senior Tournament of Champions−1 Playoff Butch Baird

Senior PGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11981Michelob-Egypt Temple Senior Classic Doug FordWon with birdie on first extra hole
21983Gatlin Brothers Seniors Golf Classic Billy CasperWon with par on fifth extra hole
31985Digital Seniors Classic Jerry Barber, Lee ElderElder won with birdie on first extra hole
41986The Greenbrier American Express Championship Jim FerreeWon with par on first extra hole
51987MONY Senior Tournament of Champions Butch BairdWon with birdie on fourth extra hole

Other senior wins (11)

Wins (1)

1Defeated Massengale in an 18-hole playoff, 69 to 71.

Results timeline

Note: January never played in The Open Championship.
CUT = missed the halfway cut

WD = withdrew

"T" indicates a tie for a place.

Summary

Wins (1)