Don January

American professional golfer (1929–2023)

Don January

Personal information
Full name| Donald Ray January
Nickname| Bones
Born| (1929-11-20)November 20, 1929
Plainview, Texas, U.S.
Died| May 7, 2023(2023-05-07) (aged 93)
Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Sporting nationality|  United States
Spouse| Patricia
Children| 3
Career
College| North Texas State College
Turned professional| 1956
Former tour(s)| PGA Tour
Senior PGA Tour
Professional wins| 45
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour| 10
PGA Tour Champions| 22 (Tied-7th all-time)
Other| 13
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters Tournament| T4: 1971
PGA Championship| Won: 1967
U.S. Open| 3rd: 1967
The Open Championship| DNP
Achievements and awards
| Vardon Trophy| 1976

|

Senior PGA Tour
money list winner| 1980, 1983, 1984
Senior PGA Tour
Byron Nelson Award| 1980, 1982, 1983,
1984, 1985

Donald Ray January (November 20, 1929 – May 7, 2023) was an American professional golfer, best known for winning the 1967 PGA Championship.

## Early life

[edit]

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

[edit]

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] Rule 16-2 was revised in 1964 to state that players had to tap the ball in within ten seconds or be penalized.[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] winning 22 events including two 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. He received two votes.[6]

## Death

[edit]

January died at his home in Dallas on May 7, 2023, at the age of 93.[7][8]

## Professional wins (45)

[edit]

### PGA Tour wins (10)

[edit]

Legend

Major championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (9)
No.  | Date  | Tournament  | Winning score  | Margin of
victory  | 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;
Fetchick: −6 (66),
Hebert: −1 (71),
Ford: E (72),
January: +3 (75)
2  | 1961 | PGA Championship |  Jerry Barber | Lost 18-hole playoff;
Barber: −3 (67),
January: −2 (68)
3  | 1964 | Lucky International Open |  Chi-Chi Rodríguez | Lost 18-hole playoff;
Rodríguez: −1 (70),
January: E (71)
4  | 1967 | PGA Championship |  Don Massengale | Won 18-hole playoff;
January: −3 (69),
Massengale: −1 (71)
5  | 1969 | Kaiser International Open Invitational |  George Archer,  Billy Casper,
Jack Nicklaus | Nicklaus won with birdie on second extra hole
January eliminated by birdie on first hole
6  | 1970 | Greater Jacksonville Open |  Dale Douglass | Won 18-hole playoff;
January: −3 (69),
Douglass: E (72)
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

### Other wins (2)

[edit]

This list may be incomplete

* 1956 Apple Valley Clambake[9]
* 1959 Valencia Open Invitational[9]

### Senior PGA Tour wins (22)

[edit]

Legend

Senior major championships (1)
Other Senior PGA Tour (21)
No.  | Date  | Tournament  | Winning score  | Margin of
victory  | 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)

No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result

|
|
|
|

1  | 1981 | Michelob-Egypt Temple Senior Classic |  Doug Ford | Won with birdie on first extra hole
2  | 1983 | Gatlin Brothers Seniors Golf Classic |  Billy Casper | Won with par on fifth extra hole
3  | 1985 | Digital Seniors Classic |  Jerry Barber,  Lee Elder | Elder won with birdie on first extra hole
4  | 1986 | The Greenbrier American Express Championship |  Jim Ferree | Won with par on first extra hole
5  | 1987 | MONY Senior Tournament of Champions |  Butch Baird | Won with birdie on fourth extra hole

### Other senior wins (12)

[edit]

* 1979 PGA Seniors' Championship
* 1980 Australian Seniors Championship[10]
* 1982 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Sam Snead)
* 1984 Shootout at Jeremy Ranch (with Mike Sullivan)
* 1985 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Gene Littler), Mazda Champions (with Alice Miller)
* 1986 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (with Gene Littler)
* 1993 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Legendary Division
* 1994 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Legendary Division (with Gene Littler)
* 1997 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Legendary Division (with Gene Littler)
* 2001 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Demaret Division (with Gene Littler)
* 2004 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf – Demaret Division (with Gene Littler)

## Major championships

[edit]

### Wins (1)

[edit]

Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up

|
|
|
|
|

1967 | PGA Championship | 4 shot deficit | −7 (71-72-70-68=281) | Playoff1 |  Don Massengale

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

### Results timeline

[edit]

Tournament  | 1952  | 1953  | 1954  | 1955  | 1956  | 1957  | 1958  | 1959

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Masters Tournament |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 36
U.S. Open | CUT  |  |  |  | CUT  |  | T7  | T19
PGA Championship |  |  |  |  |  |  |  | T49
Tournament  | 1960  | 1961  | 1962  | 1963  | 1964  | 1965  | 1966  | 1967  | 1968  | 1969

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Masters Tournament | T20  | T4  | T20  | T9  | T18  | CUT  | T6  | T26  | T14  | T5
U.S. Open |  | CUT  | CUT  | 11  | T11  | CUT  | T17  | 3  | T24  | WD
PGA Championship | 5  | 2  | T27  | T40  | CUT  |  | T12  | 1 | T51  | T15
Tournament  | 1970  | 1971  | 1972  | 1973  | 1974  | 1975  | 1976  | 1977  | 1978  | 1979

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Masters Tournament | T12  | T4  | CUT  | T10  |  |  | T33  | T8  | T11  | CUT
U.S. Open |  | T27  | T11  |  |  | T29  | T14  |  |  |
PGA Championship | T12  | CUT  | CUT  |  |  | T10  | T2  | T6  | T19  | T7
Tournament  | 1980  | 1981  | 1982

|
|
|

Masters Tournament | CUT  |  |
U.S. Open |  |  |
PGA Championship | CUT  | T19  | CUT

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)
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

### Summary

[edit]

Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 16
U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 17 | 11
The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0
PGA Championship | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 21 | 16
Totals | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 16 | 34 | 58 | 43

* Most consecutive cuts made – 10 (twice)
* Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (1976 PGA – 1977 PGA)

## Champions Tour major championships

[edit]

### Wins (1)

[edit]

Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up

|
|
|
|

1982 | Senior PGA Championship | E (74-75-69-70=288) | 1 stroke |  Julius Boros

## U.S. national team appearances

[edit]

Professional

* Ryder Cup: 1965 (winners), 1977 (winners)

## See also

[edit]

* List of golfers with most PGA Tour Champions wins
* List of men's major championships winning golfers

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Hulstrand, Randena. "On par for success". North Texas Mean Green. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
2. ^ "Player cools heels 7 minutes; Misses putt, miffed at January". Milwaukee Sentinel. Associated Press. February 15, 1963. p. 4, part 2.
3. ^ Zullo, Allan (2001). Astonishing but True Golf Facts. Forest Fairview, North Carolina: Andrew McMeels Publishing. ISBN 0-7407-1426-0.
4. ^ "Golfer profile: Don January". Las Vegas Review-Journal. April 21, 1998. Archived from the original on June 25, 2003.
5. ^ Bingham, Walter (February 16, 1998). "Built To Last". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on November 3, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2011.
6. ^ "To Tell The Truth". You Tube. CBS Television. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved August 19, 2019.
7. ^ "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.
8. ^ "Major champion Don January dies at 93". PGA Tour. May 7, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
9. ^ a b "Don January". Chicago Tribune. August 4, 1988. Retrieved May 7, 2020.
10. ^ "Golf: Champions warn opponents". The Canberra Times. June 18, 1981. p. 27. Retrieved March 3, 2020.

## External links

[edit]

* Don January at the PGA Tour official site

* v
* t
* e

PGA Championship champions

Match play
era|

* 1916 Jim Barnes
* 1919 Jim Barnes
* 1920 Jock Hutchison
* 1921 Walter Hagen
* 1922 Gene Sarazen
* 1923 Gene Sarazen
* 1924 Walter Hagen
* 1925 Walter Hagen
* 1926 Walter Hagen
* 1927 Walter Hagen
* 1928 Leo Diegel
* 1929 Leo Diegel
* 1930 Tommy Armour
* 1931 Tom Creavy
* 1932 Olin Dutra
* 1933 Gene Sarazen
* 1934 Paul Runyan
* 1935 Johnny Revolta
* 1936 Denny Shute
* 1937 Denny Shute
* 1938 Paul Runyan
* 1939 Henry Picard
* 1940 Byron Nelson
* 1941 Vic Ghezzi
* 1942 Sam Snead
* 1944 Bob Hamilton
* 1945 Byron Nelson
* 1946 Ben Hogan
* 1947 Jim Ferrier
* 1948 Ben Hogan
* 1949 Sam Snead
* 1950 Chandler Harper
* 1951 Sam Snead
* 1952 Jim Turnesa
* 1953 Walter Burkemo
* 1954 Chick Harbert
* 1955 Doug Ford
* 1956 Jack Burke Jr.
* 1957 Lionel Hebert

Stroke play
era|

* 1958 Dow Finsterwald
* 1959 Bob Rosburg
* 1960 Jay Hebert
* 1961 Jerry Barber†
* 1962 Gary Player
* 1963 Jack Nicklaus
* 1964‡ Bobby Nichols
* 1965 Dave Marr
* 1966 Al Geiberger
* 1967 Don January†
* 1968 Julius Boros
* 1969‡ Raymond Floyd
* 1970 Dave Stockton
* 1971 Jack Nicklaus
* 1972 Gary Player
* 1973 Jack Nicklaus
* 1974 Lee Trevino
* 1975 Jack Nicklaus
* 1976 Dave Stockton
* 1977 Lanny Wadkins†
* 1978 John Mahaffey†
* 1979 David Graham†
* 1980 Jack Nicklaus
* 1981 Larry Nelson
* 1982‡ Raymond Floyd
* 1983‡ Hal Sutton
* 1984 Lee Trevino
* 1985 Hubert Green
* 1986 Bob Tway
* 1987 Larry Nelson†
* 1988 Jeff Sluman
* 1989 Payne Stewart
* 1990 Wayne Grady
* 1991 John Daly
* 1992 Nick Price
* 1993 Paul Azinger†
* 1994 Nick Price
* 1995 Steve Elkington†
* 1996 Mark Brooks†
* 1997 Davis Love III
* 1998 Vijay Singh
* 1999 Tiger Woods
* 2000‡ Tiger Woods†
* 2001 David Toms
* 2002 Rich Beem
* 2003 Shaun Micheel
* 2004 Vijay Singh†
* 2005 Phil Mickelson
* 2006 Tiger Woods
* 2007 Tiger Woods
* 2008 Pádraig Harrington
* 2009 Y. E. Yang
* 2010 Martin Kaymer†
* 2011 Keegan Bradley†
* 2012 Rory McIlroy
* 2013 Jason Dufner
* 2014 Rory McIlroy
* 2015 Jason Day
* 2016 Jimmy Walker
* 2017 Justin Thomas
* 2018 Brooks Koepka
* 2019 Brooks Koepka
* 2020 Collin Morikawa
* 2021 Phil Mickelson
* 2022 Justin Thomas†
* 2023 Brooks Koepka
* 2024‡ Xander Schauffele

† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; 1943 cancelled due to World War II

* v
* t
* e

Senior PGA Championship champions

* 1980 Arnold Palmer†
* 1981 Miller Barber
* 1982 Don January
* 1983 Not held
* 1984 (Jan) Arnold Palmer
* 1984 (Dec) Peter Thomson
* 1985 Not held
* 1986 Gary Player
* 1987 Chi-Chi Rodríguez
* 1988 Gary Player
* 1989 Larry Mowry
* 1990 Gary Player
* 1991 Jack Nicklaus
* 1992 Lee Trevino
* 1993 Tom Wargo†
* 1994 Lee Trevino
* 1995 Raymond Floyd
* 1996 Hale Irwin
* 1997 Hale Irwin
* 1998 Hale Irwin
* 1999 Allen Doyle
* 2000 Doug Tewell
* 2001 Tom Watson
* 2002 Fuzzy Zoeller
* 2003 John Jacobs
* 2004 Hale Irwin
* 2005 Mike Reid†
* 2006 Jay Haas†
* 2007 Denis Watson
* 2008 Jay Haas
* 2009 Michael Allen
* 2010 Tom Lehman†
* 2011 Tom Watson†
* 2012 Roger Chapman
* 2013 Kōki Idoki
* 2014 Colin Montgomerie
* 2015 Colin Montgomerie
* 2016 Rocco Mediate
* 2017 Bernhard Langer
* 2018 Paul Broadhurst
* 2019 Ken Tanigawa
* 2020 Not held
* 2021 Alex Čejka
* 2022 Steven Alker
* 2023 Steve Stricker†
* 2024 Richard Bland

† indicates the event was won in a playoff

Don January in the Ryder Cup

* v
* t
* e

United States Ryder Cup team – 1965

* Julius Boros
* Billy Casper
* Tommy Jacobs
* Don January
* Tony Lema
* Gene Littler
* Dave Marr
* Arnold Palmer
* Ken Venturi

* Byron Nelson (non-playing captain)

Won: 19.5 - 12.5
Johnny Pott: Made the team, but did not participate in the event due to a back injury.

* v
* t
* e

United States Ryder Cup team – 1977

* Raymond Floyd
* Lou Graham
* Hubert Green
* Dave Hill
* Hale Irwin
* Don January
* Jerry McGee
* Jack Nicklaus
* Ed Sneed
* Dave Stockton
* Lanny Wadkins
* Tom Watson

* Dow Finsterwald (non-playing captain)

Won: 12.5 - 7.5
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