1961 PGA Championship

1961 PGA Championship
Tournament information
Dates July 27–31, 1961
Location Olympia Fields, Illinois
Course(s) Olympia Fields Country Club
North Course
Organized by PGA of America
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Statistics
Par 70
Length 6,722 yards (6,147 m)[1]
Field 161 players, 65 after cut
Cut 148 (+8)
Prize fund $64,800[2]
Winner's share $11,000
Champion
United States Jerry Barber
277 (−3), playoff
Olympia
Fields
Location in the United States
Olympia
Fields
Location in Illinois

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.[1]

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.[3] Barber led at the midway point with a 136 (−4), two shots ahead of January and Doug Sanders.[4][5][6] A top putter of the era, Barber sank 120 feet (37 m) 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 60 feet (18 m) away, January played conservatively for the bogey. Barber drained his third lengthy putt in as many holes (eagle-par-birdie) to even it up at the end of regulation.[7]

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, 18 feet (5.5 m) from the cup. January found another bunker short of the green and could not save par from 15 feet (4.6 m).[8][9]

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 (Courses 3 & 4) and the U.S. Open in 1928 (Course 4). 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.[10] The North Course later hosted the U.S. Open in 2003, won by Jim Furyk.

Past champions in the field

Made the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2R3R4TotalTo parFinish
Doug Ford United States195569737466282+2T5
Jay Hebert United States196068727272284+413
Walter Burkemo United States195371717370285+514
Bob Rosburg United States195970717373287+7T19
Sam Snead United States1942, 1949, 195172717175289+9T27
Dow Finsterwald United States195874747174293+13T41
Jim Ferrier Australia194773737772295+15T45
Jack Burke, Jr. United States195676717278297+17T52
Chick Harbert United States195473757376297+17T52

Missed the cut

PlayerCountryYear(s) wonR1R2TotalTo par
Lionel Hebert United States19577574149+9
Vic Ghezzi United States19417875153+13
Denny Shute United States1936, 19377677153+13
Jim Turnesa United States19527975154+14

Source:[2][6]

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, July 27, 1961

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Art Wall, Jr. United States67−3
T2Jay Hebert United States68−2
Ernie Vossler United States
T4Jerry Barber United States69−1
Doug Ford United States
Bill Heinlein United States
T7Buster Cupit United States70E
Don Fairfield United States
Jack Fleck United States
Paul Harney United States
Shelley Mayfield United States
Bob Rosburg United States
Doug Sanders United States

Source:[11][12]

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.[3]

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Jerry Barber United States69-67=136−4
T2Don January United States72-66=138−2
Doug Sanders United States70-68=138
4Art Wall, Jr. United States67-72=139−1
T5Jay Hebert United States68-72=140E
Ted Kroll United States72-68=140
Ernie Vossler United States68-72=140
T8Don Fairfield United States70-71=141+1
Gene Littler United States71-70=141
Bob Rosburg United States70-71=141

Source:[5][6]

Third round

Sunday, July 30, 1961 (morning)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo par
1Don January United States72-66-67=205−5
2Jerry Barber United States69-67-71=207−3
T3Wes Ellis United States71-71-68=210E
Ted Kroll United States72-68-70=210
5Johnny Pott United States71-73-67=211+1
T6Paul Harney United States70-73-69=212+2
Jay Hebert United States68-72-72=212
Doug Sanders United States70-68-74=212
Art Wall, Jr. United States67-72-73=212
T10Gardner Dickinson United States71-71-71=213+3
Bob Goalby United States73-72-68=213

Final round

Sunday, July 30, 1961 (afternoon)

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
T1Jerry Barber United States69-67-71-70=277−3Playoff
Don January United States72-66-67-72=277
3Doug Sanders United States70-68-74-68=280E3,600
4Ted Kroll United States72-68-70-71=281+13,100
T5Wes Ellis United States71-71-68-72=282+22,209
Doug Ford United States69-73-74-66=282
Gene Littler United States71-70-72-69=282
Arnold Palmer United States73-72-69-68=282
Johnny Pott United States71-73-67-71=282
Art Wall, Jr. United States67-72-73-70=282

Playoff

Monday, July 31, 1961

PlacePlayerCountryScoreTo parMoney ($)
1Jerry Barber United States35-32=67−311,000
2Don January United States34-34=68−25,500

Scorecard

Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718
Par544443434434534444
United States Barber−1−1−1EEEEEEEE−1−1−2−3−3−3−3
United States JanuaryE−1−1−1−2−2EE−1−1−2−2−2−2−2−3−3−2
Birdie Bogey Double bogey

Source:[9]

References

  1. 1 2 "Barber Small and Old but Champion". Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. August 1, 1961. p. 16.
  2. 1 2 "Tournament Info for: 1961 PGA Championship". PGA.com. Retrieved July 17, 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Downpour washes out second round of PGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 29, 1961. p. 8.
  4. ↑ "Barber (136) Leads PGA Test". Milwaukee Sentinel. UPI. July 31, 1961. p. 4, part 2.
  5. 1 2 "Barber clips par for 67, leads PGA". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 30, 1961. p. 1, section 4.
  6. 1 2 3 "PGA Tournament scoreboard". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 30, 1961. p. 4, section 4.
  7. ↑ Nichols, Bill (June 11, 2003). "January lives with that sinking feeling". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. (Dallas Morning News). p. D-2.
  8. ↑ Wright, Alfred (August 7, 1961). "Rain, strain and a win". Sports Illustrated. p. 10.
  9. 1 2 "Barber defeats January by 1 stroke to win PGA Championship in playoff". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. August 1, 1961. p. 16.
  10. ↑ Chase, Al (June 23, 1946). "Olympia Fields acres expected to be homesites". Chicago Daily Tribune. p. B, part 3.
  11. ↑ "Wall grabs PGA lead; Palmer fumes". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 28, 1961. p. 16.
  12. ↑ "PGA tournament scoreboard". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 28, 1961. p. 18.
Preceded by
1961 Open Championship		 Major Championships Succeeded by
1962 Masters

Coordinates: 41°31′16″N 87°41′13″W / 41.521°N 87.687°W / 41.521; -87.687

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