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)
Field	161 players, 65 after cut
Cut	148 (+8)
Prize fund	$64,800
Winner's share	$11,000
Champion
Jerry Barber
277 (−3), playoff

Olympia
Fields

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Location in the United States

Olympia
Fields

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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.

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 (−4), two shots ahead of January and Doug Sanders. 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 (birdie-par-birdie) 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, 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).

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. The North Course later hosted the U.S. Open in 2003, won by Jim Furyk.

Round summaries

First round

Thursday, July 27, 1961

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Art Wall Jr.	67	−3
T2	Jay Hebert	68	−2
	Ernie Vossler
T4	Jerry Barber	69	−1
	Doug Ford
	Bill Heinlein
T7	Buster Cupit	70	E
	Don Fairfield
	Jack Fleck
	Paul Harney
	Shelley Mayfield
	Bob Rosburg
	Doug Sanders

Source:

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.

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Jerry Barber	69-67=136	−4
T2	Don January	72-66=138	−2
	Doug Sanders	70-68=138
4	Art Wall Jr.	67-72=139	−1
T5	Jay Hebert	68-72=140	E
	Ted Kroll	72-68=140
	Ernie Vossler	68-72=140
T8	Don Fairfield	70-71=141	+1
	Gene Littler	71-70=141
	Bob Rosburg	70-71=141

Source:

Third round

Sunday, July 30, 1961 (morning)

Place	Player	Score	To par
1	Don January	72-66-67=205	−5
2	Jerry Barber	69-67-71=207	−3
T3	Wes Ellis	71-71-68=210	E
	Ted Kroll	72-68-70=210
5	Johnny Pott	71-73-67=211	+1
T6	Paul Harney	70-73-69=212	+2
	Jay Hebert	68-72-72=212
	Doug Sanders	70-68-74=212
	Art Wall Jr.	67-72-73=212
T10	Gardner Dickinson	71-71-71=213	+3
	Bob Goalby	73-72-68=213

Final round

Sunday, July 30, 1961 (afternoon)

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
T1	Jerry Barber	69-67-71-70=277	−3	Playoff
	Don January	72-66-67-72=277
3	Doug Sanders	70-68-74-68=280	E	3,600
4	Ted Kroll	72-68-70-71=281	+1	3,100
T5	Wes Ellis	71-71-68-72=282	+2	2,209
	Doug Ford	69-73-74-66=282
	Gene Littler	71-70-72-69=282
	Arnold Palmer	73-72-69-68=282
	Johnny Pott	71-73-67-71=282
	Art Wall Jr.	67-72-73-70=282

Playoff

Monday, July 31, 1961

Place	Player	Score	To par	Money ($)
1	Jerry Barber	35-32=67	−3	11,000
2	Don January	34-34=68	−2	5,500

Scorecard

Hole	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
Par	5	4	4	4	4	3	4	3	4	4	3	4	5	3	4	4	4	4
Barber	−1	−1	−1	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	E	−1	−1	−2	−3	−3	−3	−3
January	E	−1	−1	−1	−2	−2	E	E	−1	−1	−2	−2	−2	−2	−2	−3	−3	−2

Birdie

Bogey

Double bogey

Source:

External links

• PGA Media Guide 2012
• GolfCompendium.com – 1961 PGA Championship
• PGA.com – 1961 PGA Championship