1961 PGA Championship

August 2023 1961 PGA Championship July 27–31, 1961 Olympia Fields, Illinois USA#Illinois yes Olympia Fields Location in the United States##Location in Illinois 41.521 -87.687 type:event_region:US-IL inline,title Olympia Fields Country ClubNorth Course PGA of America PGA Tour 70 6722 ydhttps://news.google.com/newspapers?id=PWAaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-yYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7224%2C191709 Milwaukee Journal Associated Press Barber Small and Old but Champion August 1, 1961 16 Stroke play 161 players, 65 after cut 148 (+8) $64,800http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=412&date=1961&tourn_name_id=2 PGA.com Tournament Info for: 1961 PGA Championship July 17, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120809072426/http://www.pgamediaguide.com/pgachampionship_detail.cfm?tournament_id=412&date=1961&tourn_name_id=2 August 9, 2012 dead $11,000 USA Jerry Barber 277 (−3), playoff 1960 1962 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.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TcdaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4854%2C6144602 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press Downpour washes out second round of PGA July 29, 1961 8 Barber led at the midway point with a 136 (−4), two shots ahead of January and Doug Sanders.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wW5QAAAAIBAJ&sjid=IREEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7260%2C5258942 Milwaukee Sentinel UPI Barber (136) Leads PGA Test July 31, 1961 4, part 2https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TsdaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6912%2C6795778 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press Barber clips par for 67, leads PGA July 30, 1961 1, section 4https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TsdaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2534%2C6810484 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press PGA Tournament scoreboard July 30, 1961 4, section 4 A top putter of the era, Barber sank 120 ft 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 ft 0 away, January played conservatively for the bogey. Barber drained his third lengthy putt in as many holes (birdie-par-birdie) to even it up at the end of regulation.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6edRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=03ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6363%2C176336 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Dallas Morning News) Nichols Bill January lives with that sinking feeling June 11, 2003 D-2 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 ft m from the cup. January found another bunker short of the green and could not save par from 15 ft.https://www.si.com/vault/1961/08/07/586616/rain-strain-and-a-win Sports Illustrated Wright Alfred Rain, strain and a win August 7, 1961 10https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CBoNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=F2wDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4135%2C85476 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press Barber defeats January by 1 stroke to win PGA Championship in playoff August 1, 1961 16 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 from the other three.http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1946/06/23/page/48/article/olympia-fields-acres-expected-to-be-homesites Chicago Daily Tribune Chase Al Olympia Fields acres expected to be homesites June 23, 1946 B, part 3 The North Course later hosted the U.S. Open in 2003, won by Jim Furyk. Course layout Hole123456789Out101112131415161718InTotalYards5104554434153551504122503803,3703821554255451483754584284363,3526,722Par544443434354345344443570 Round summaries First round Thursday, July 27, 1961 PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 USA Art Wall Jr. 67 −3T2 USA Jay Hebert 68 −2 USA Ernie Vossler T4 USA Jerry Barber 69 −1 USA Doug Ford USA Bill Heinlein T7 USA Buster Cupit 70 E USA Don Fairfield USA Jack Fleck USA Paul Harney USA Shelley Mayfield USA Bob Rosburg USA Doug Sanders Source:https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TMdaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6852%2C6029954 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press Wall grabs PGA lead; Palmer fumes July 28, 1961 16https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=TMdaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4018%2C6038377 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Associated Press PGA tournament scoreboard July 28, 1961 18 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. PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 USA Jerry Barber 69-67=136 −4T2 USA Don January 72-66=138 −2 USA Doug Sanders 70-68=138 4 USA Art Wall Jr. 67-72=139 −1T5 USA Jay Hebert 68-72=140 E USA Ted Kroll 72-68=140 USA Ernie Vossler 68-72=140T8 USA Don Fairfield 70-71=141 +1 USA Gene Littler 71-70=141 USA Bob Rosburg 70-71=141 Source: Third round Sunday, July 30, 1961 (morning) PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 USA Don January 72-66-67=205 −52 USA Jerry Barber 69-67-71=207 −3T3 USA Wes Ellis 71-71-68=210 E USA Ted Kroll 72-68-70=210 5 USA Johnny Pott 71-73-67=211 +1T6 USA Paul Harney 70-73-69=212 +2 USA Jay Hebert 68-72-72=212 USA Doug Sanders 70-68-74=212 USA Art Wall Jr. 67-72-73=212T10 USA Gardner Dickinson 71-71-71=213 +3 USA Bob Goalby 73-72-68=213 Final round Sunday, July 30, 1961 (afternoon) PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)T1 USA Jerry Barber 69-67-71-70=277 −3Playoff USA Don January 72-66-67-72=2773 USA Doug Sanders 70-68-74-68=280 E 3,6004 USA Ted Kroll 72-68-70-71=281 +1 3,100T5 USA Wes Ellis 71-71-68-72=282 +2 2,209 USA Doug Ford 69-73-74-66=282 USA Gene Littler 71-70-72-69=282 USA Arnold Palmer 73-72-69-68=282 USA Johnny Pott 71-73-67-71=282 USA Art Wall Jr. 67-72-73-70=282 Playoff Monday, July 31, 1961 PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)1 USA Jerry Barber 35-32=67−311,0002 USA Don January 34-34=68−25,500 Scorecard Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718Par544443434 434534444USA Barber−1−1−1EEEEEEEE−1−1−2−3−3−3−3USA JanuaryE−1−1−1−2−2EE−1−1−2−2−2−2−2−3−3−2 Double EagleEagle -->BirdieBogeyDouble bogey Source: References External links PGA Media Guide 2012 GolfCompendium.com – 1961 PGA Championship PGA.com – 1961 PGA Championship 1961 Category:PGA Championship Category:Golf tournaments in Illinois PGA Championship PGA Championship PGA Championship PGA Championship