Don January

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

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

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. 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

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

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

Professional wins (45)

PGA Tour wins (10)

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)

This list may be incomplete

• 1956 Apple Valley Clambake^[9]
• 1959 Valencia Open Invitational^[9]

Senior PGA Tour wins (22)

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)

• 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

Wins (1)

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

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

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

Wins (1)

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

Professional

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

See also

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