1961 PGA Championship: Barber Cleans Up
The 1961 PGA Championship was the 43rd edition of this major, staged by the PGA of America, and a Barber won it. Jerry Barber, that is, who at age 45, became the oldest major winner to this point.
Winner: Jerry Barber, 277
Where it was played: Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois
Tournament dates: July 27-31, 1961
Leader after first round: Art Wall, 67
Leader after second round: Jerry Barber, 136
Leader after third round: Don January, 205
What Happened at the 1961 PGA Championship
Jerry Barber made putts of 20, 40 and 60 feet over the final three holes of regulation to tie Don January — who had led by four strokes with three holes to play — and force a playoff. In the 18-hole playoff, Barber, age 45, beat the young January by one stroke, 67 to 68.Known as one of the better putters of his day, Barber proved it over that closing stretch of the final round. Barber and January had traded the lead in the tournament, Barber leading after the second round and January after the third. But January held a 4-stroke edge over Barber with three holes to play.
January stumbled a bit down the stretch, though, and Barber took advantage by sinking 120 feet worth of putts over those three remaining holes. Barber made a 20-footer for birdie on the 16th, a 40-footer for par on the 17th, then a monster 60-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
And that display of putting sent Barber and January into an 18-hole playoff the following day, the first playoff of the PGA Championship's stroke-play era. In the playoff, January twice held 2-stroke leads. But once again Barber rallied, and he wound up beating January to win the trophy by one shot, 67 to 68, when January made bogey on the final hole.
Barber was 45 years, 3 months and 6 days old at the time of his win, which made him the oldest winner of a PGA Championship (a record later broken). He also set a record (later broken) as oldest winner of a major in the post-1900 history of the game.
January later took part in the second playoff of the PGA's stroke-play era, beating Don Massengale to win the 1967 PGA Championship. Gary Player played the PGA Championship for the first time this year, and finished tied for 29th.
1961 PGA Championship Final Scores
| Jerry Barber | 69-67-71-70—277 |
| Don January | 72-66-67-72—277 |
| Doug Sanders | 70-68-74-68—280 |
| Ted Kroll | 72-68-70-71—281 |
| Wes Ellis Jr. | 71-71-68-72—282 |
| 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 | 67-72-73-70—282 |
| Paul Harney | 70-73-69-71—283 |
| Cary Middlecoff | 74-69-71-69—283 |
| Jay Hebert | 68-72-72-72—284 |
| Walter Burkemo | 71-71-73-70—285 |
| Billy Casper | 74-72-69-71—286 |
| Bob Goalby | 73-72-68-73—286 |
| Ernie Vossler | 68-72-71-75—286 |
| Don Whitt | 76-72-70-68—286 |
| Gardner Dickinson | 71-71-71-74—287 |
| Jack Fleck | 70-74-73-70—287 |
| Bob Rosburg | 70-71-73-73—287 |
| George Bayer | 73-71-72-72—288 |
| Don Fairfield | 70-71-74-73—288 |
| Fred Hawkins | 75-73-71-69—288 |
| Dave Marr | 72-74-73-69—288 |
| Shelley Mayfield | 70-74-72-72—288 |
| Billy Maxwell | 71-72-73-73—289 |
| Sam Snead | 72-71-71-75—289 |
| Charles Bassler | 73-73-72-72—290 |
| Bob Keller | 72-73-72-73—290 |
| Al Mengert | 72-74-72-72—290 |
| Gary Player | 72-74-71-73—290 |
| Billy Farrell | 75-72-72-72—291 |
| Jon Gustin | 75-72-75-69—291 |
| Mac Hunter | 74-71-73-73—291 |
| Dave Ragan | 73-72-73-73—291 |
| Clarence Doser | 71-75-73-73—292 |
| Mason Rudolph | 71-71-73-77—292 |
| Ken Venturi | 72-72-77-71—292 |
| Lew Worsham | 75-73-73-71—292 |
| Manuel De La Torre | 72-72-76-73—293 |
| Dow Finsterwald | 74-74-71-74—293 |
| Bud Holscher | 77-68-75-74—294 |
| Jack McGowan | 76-70-77-71—294 |
| Buster Cupit | 70-78-72-75—295 |
| Jim Ferrier | 73-73-77-72—295 |
| Marty Furgol | 71-74-72-78—295 |
| Milon Marusic | 75-73-74-73—295 |
| Mike Souchak | 72-72-74-77—295 |
| Fred Haas Jr. | 72-76-75-73—296 |
| Charles Malchaski | 72-73-77-74—296 |
| Jack Burke Jr. | 76-71-72-78—297 |
| Chick Harbert | 73-75-73-76—297 |
| Tom Nieporte | 75-72-75-75—297 |
| Sam Bernardi | 75-72-75-76—298 |
| Pete Cooper | 74-74-75-75—298 |
| Johnny Bulla | 74-73-77-76—300 |
| Mike Krak | 71-76-77-76—300 |
| Sam Penecale | 72-73-79-76—300 |
| Bill Heinlein | 69-77-79-76—301 |
| Marshall Springer | 74-71-77-80—302 |
| J.L. McReynolds | 73-74-79-78—304 |
| Al Besselink | 74-73-83-75—305 |
| Leon Butler | 75-72-77-84—308 |
