Don January

{{Infobox golfer

| name = Don January

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| fullname = Donald Ray January

| nickname = Bones

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1929|11|20}}

| birth_place = Plainview, Texas, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|5|7|1929|11|20}}

| death_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.

| height =

| weight =

| sporting_nationality = {{USA}}

| spouse = Patricia

| partner =

| children = 3

| college = North Texas State College

| yearpro = 1956

| extour = PGA Tour
Senior PGA Tour

| prowins = 45

| pgawins = 10

| champwins = 22 (Tied-7th all-time)

| otherwins = 13

| majorwins = 1

| masters = T4: 1971

| usopen = 3rd: 1967

| open = DNP

| pga = Won: 1967

| wghofid =

| wghofyear =

| award1 = Vardon Trophy

| year1 = 1976

| award2 = Senior PGA Tour
money list winner

| year2 = 1980, 1983, 1984

| award3 = Senior PGA Tour
Byron Nelson Award

| year3 = 1980, 1982, 1983,
1984, 1985

| awardssection =

}}

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

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.{{cite web |url=http://northtexan.unt.edu/content/par-success |title=On par for success |publisher=North Texas Mean Green |first=Randena |last=Hulstrand |access-date=May 8, 2023}}

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).{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gE0aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=txAEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7314,3589926&dq=don+january+putt&hl=en |title=Player cools heels 7 minutes; Misses putt, miffed at January |newspaper=Milwaukee Sentinel |date=February 15, 1963 |page=4, part 2 |agency=Associated Press}} Rule 16-2 was revised in 1964 to state that players had to tap the ball in within ten seconds or be penalized.{{cite book |last=Zullo |first=Allan |title=Astonishing but True Golf Facts |publisher=Andrew McMeels Publishing |location=Forest Fairview, North Carolina |year=2001 |isbn=0-7407-1426-0 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/astonishingbuttr00zull }}

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),{{cite news |url=http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1998/Apr-21-Tue-1998/sports/7353183.html |title=Golfer profile: Don January |newspaper=Las Vegas Review-Journal |date=April 21, 1998 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030625223556/http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1998/Apr-21-Tue-1998/sports/7353183.html |archive-date=June 25, 2003}} 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.{{cite magazine |title=Built To Last |last=Bingham |first=Walter |magazine=Sports Illustrated |date=February 16, 1998 |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1012022/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103224252/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1012022/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 3, 2012 |access-date=February 5, 2011}}

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.{{cite web |title=To Tell The Truth |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MDpFyhm_lk |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/1MDpFyhm_lk |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|access-date=19 August 2019 |website=You Tube |publisher=CBS Television}}{{cbignore}}

Death

January died at his home in Dallas on May 7, 2023, at the age of 93.{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/07/obituaries/don-january-dead.html |title=Don January, Who Won the 1967 P.G.A. Title, Is Dead at 93 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 7, 2023 |access-date=May 8, 2023 |url-access=subscription}}{{cite web |url=https://www.pgatour.com/article/news/latest/2023/05/07/don-january-dies-age-93-major-champion-obituary |title=Major champion Don January dies at 93 |publisher=PGA Tour |date=May 7, 2023 |access-date=May 7, 2023}}

Professional wins (45)

=PGA Tour wins (10)=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! Legend

style="background:#e5d1cb;"

|Major championships (1)

Other PGA Tour (9)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.

!Date

!Tournament

!Winning score

!Margin of
victory

!Runner(s)-up

align=center|1

|align=right|May 27, 1956

|Dallas Centennial Open

|−12 (64-67-70-67=268)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Dow Finsterwald, {{flagicon|USA}} Doug Ford

align=center|2

|align=right|Feb 21, 1960

|Tucson Open Invitational

|−9 (67-67-68-69=271)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Harris

align=center|3

|align=right|Jul 9, 1961

|St. Paul Open Invitational

|−19 (66-71-68-64=269)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Buster Cupit

align=center|4

|align=right|Feb 17, 1963

|Tucson Open Invitational (2)

|−22 (65-67-69-65=266)

|11 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Gene Littler, {{flagicon|USA}} Phil Rodgers

align=center|5

|align=right|Aug 28, 1966

|Philadelphia Golf Classic

|−10 (69-69-69-71=278)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jack Nicklaus

style="background:#e5d1cb;"

|align=center|6

|align=right|Jul 24, 1967

|PGA Championship

|−7 (71-72-70-68=281)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Don Massengale

align=center|7

|align=right|Apr 21, 1968

|Tournament of Champions

|−8 (70-68-69-69=276)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Julius Boros

align=center|8

|align=right|Mar 23, 1970

|Greater Jacksonville Open

|−9 (68-75-70-66=279)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Dale Douglass

align=center|9

|align=right|Oct 19, 1975

|San Antonio Texas Open

|−13 (71-67-71-66=275)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Larry Hinson

align=center|10

|align=right|Apr 18, 1976

|MONY Tournament of Champions (2)

|−11 (71-68-69-69=277)

|5 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Hubert Green

PGA Tour playoff record (3–5)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent(s)!!Result

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|1

|align=center|1956

|Western Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Mike Fetchick, {{flagicon|USA|1928}} Doug Ford,
{{flagicon|USA}} Jay Hebert

|Fetchick won 18-hole playoff;
Fetchick: −6 (66),
Hebert: −1 (71),
Ford: E (72),
January: +3 (75)

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|2

|align=center|1961

|PGA Championship

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jerry Barber

|Lost 18-hole playoff;
Barber: −3 (67),
January: −2 (68)

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|3

|align=center|1964

|Lucky International Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Chi-Chi Rodríguez

|Lost 18-hole playoff;
Rodríguez: −1 (70),
January: E (71)

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|4

|align=center|1967

|PGA Championship

|{{flagicon|USA}} Don Massengale

|Won 18-hole playoff;
January: −3 (69),
Massengale: −1 (71)

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|5

|align=center|1969

|Kaiser International Open Invitational

|{{flagicon|USA}} George Archer, {{flagicon|USA}} Billy Casper,
{{flagicon|USA}} Jack Nicklaus

|Nicklaus won with birdie on second extra hole
January eliminated by birdie on first hole

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|6

|align=center|1970

|Greater Jacksonville Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Dale Douglass

|Won 18-hole playoff;
January: −3 (69),
Douglass: E (72)

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|7

|align=center|1971

|Houston Champions International

|{{flagicon|USA}} Hubert Green

|Lost to birdie on first extra hole

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|8

|align=center|1975

|San Antonio Texas Open

|{{flagicon|USA}} Larry Hinson

|Won with birdie on second extra hole

=Other wins (2)=

This list may be incomplete

1956 Apple Valley Clambake
1959 Valencia Open Invitational{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1988-08-04-8801200755-story.html |title=Don January |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=August 4, 1988 |access-date=May 7, 2020}}

=Senior PGA Tour wins (22)=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

! Legend

style="background:#e5d1cb;"

|Senior major championships (1)

Other Senior PGA Tour (21)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.

!Date

!Tournament

!Winning score

!Margin of
victory

!Runner(s)-up

align=center|1

|align=right|Jun 22, 1980

|Atlantic City Senior International

|−5 (68-71-69=208)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Mike Souchak

align=center|2

|align=right|Apr 5, 1981

|Michelob-Egypt Temple Senior Classic

|−8 (71-70-72-67=280)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Doug Ford

align=center|3

|align=right|Jun 7, 1981

|Eureka Federal Savings Classic

|−5 (71-69-68=208)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Goalby

align=center|4

|align=right|Apr 4, 1982

|Michelob Senior Classic (2)

|−10 (73-69-67-69=278)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Dow Finsterwald

style="background:#e5d1cb;"

|align=center|5

|align=right|Dec 5, 1982

|PGA Seniors' Championship

|E (74-75-69-70=288)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|USA}} Julius Boros

align=center|6

|align=right|Jun 5, 1983

|Gatlin Brothers Seniors Golf Classic

|−8 (71-67-68=208)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Billy Casper

align=center|7

|align=right|Jun 26, 1983

|Peter Jackson Champions

|−10 (68-67-71-68=274)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Miller Barber

align=center|8

|align=right|Jul 3, 1983

|Marlboro Classic

|−11 (69-72-68-64=273)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Miller Barber, {{flagicon|USA}} Gay Brewer

align=center|9

|align=right|Aug 21, 1983

|Denver Post Champions of Golf

|−17 (70-65-67-69=271)

|4 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Billy Casper, {{flagicon|USA}} Doug Sanders

align=center|10

|align=right|Sep 4, 1983

|Citizens Union Senior Golf Classic

|−19 (67-67-65-70=269)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Stone

align=center|11

|align=right|Oct 16, 1983

|Suntree Classic

|−14 (69-66-68-71=274)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Arnold Palmer

align=center|12

|align=right|Mar 25, 1984

|Vintage Invitational

|−8 (70-72-72-66=280)

|4 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Miller Barber

align=center|13

|align=right|Aug 12, 1984

|du Maurier Champions (2)

|−19 (65-63-66=194)

|5 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Miller Barber, {{flagicon|USA}} Lee Elder

align=center|14

|align=right|Sep 23, 1984

|Digital Middlesex Classic (2)

|−7 (70-70-69=209)

|4 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Orville Moody

align=center|15

|align=right|Mar 24, 1985

|Senior PGA Tour Roundup

|−18 (65-69-64=198)

|3 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Gene Littler

align=center|16

|align=right|May 12, 1985

|Dominion Seniors

|−10 (69-70-67=206)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Gay Brewer

align=center|17

|align=right|May 19, 1985

|United Hospitals Senior Golf Championship

|−5 (69-66=135)*

|5 strokes

|{{flagicon|CAN}} Al Balding

align=center|18

|align=right|Jul 7, 1985

|The Greenbrier American Express Championship

|−16 (70-64-66=200)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Lee Elder

align=center|19

|align=right|Jun 8, 1986

|Senior Players Reunion Pro-Am

|−13 (66-68-69=203)

|2 strokes

|{{flagicon|USA}} Chi-Chi Rodríguez

align=center|20

|align=right|Jul 13, 1986

|The Greenbrier American Express Championship (2)

|−9 (70-66-71-207)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jim Ferree

align=center|21

|align=right|Nov 2, 1986

|Seiko-Tucson Senior Match Play Championship

|E (70)

|1 stroke

|{{flagicon|NZL}} Bob Charles

align=center|22

|align=right|Jan 10, 1987

|MONY Senior Tournament of Champions

|−1 (67-72-73-75=287)

|Playoff

|{{flagicon|USA}} 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)

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"

!No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent(s)!!Result

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|1

|align=center|1981

|Michelob-Egypt Temple Senior Classic

|{{flagicon|USA}} Doug Ford

|Won with birdie on first extra hole

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|2

|align=center|1983

|Gatlin Brothers Seniors Golf Classic

|{{flagicon|USA}} Billy Casper

|Won with par on fifth extra hole

style="background:#F2C1D1;"

|align=center|3

|align=center|1985

|Digital Seniors Classic

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jerry Barber, {{flagicon|USA}} Lee Elder

|Elder won with birdie on first extra hole

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|4

|align=center|1986

|The Greenbrier American Express Championship

|{{flagicon|USA}} Jim Ferree

|Won with par on first extra hole

style="background:#D0F0C0;"

|align=center|5

|align=center|1987

|MONY Senior Tournament of Champions

|{{flagicon|USA}} Butch Baird

|Won with birdie on fourth extra hole

=Other senior wins (12)=

1979 PGA Seniors' Championship
1980 Australian Seniors Championship{{Cite news |date=1981-06-18 |title=Golf: Champions warn opponents |page=27 |newspaper=The Canberra Times |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125641885 |access-date=2020-03-03}}
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)=

class="wikitable"

!Year!!Championship!!54 holes!!Winning score!!Margin!!Runner-up

style="background:thistle;"

| 1967

PGA Championship

4 shot deficit

−7 (71-72-70-68=281)

Playoff¹

{{flagicon|USA}} Don Massengale

¹Defeated Massengale in an 18-hole playoff, 69 to 71.

=Results timeline=

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1952

!1953

!1954

!1955

!1956

!1957

!1958

!1959

align=left|Masters Tournament

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|36

align=left|U.S. Open

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:yellow;"|T7

|T19

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T49

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1960

!1961

!1962

!1963

!1964

!1965

!1966

!1967

!1968

!1969

align=left|Masters Tournament

|T20

|style="background:yellow;"|T4

|T20

|style="background:yellow;"|T9

|T18

|CUT

|style="background:yellow;"|T6

|T26

|T14

|style="background:yellow;"|T5

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|CUT

|11

|T11

|CUT

|T17

|style="background:yellow;"|3

|T24

|WD

align=left|PGA Championship

|style="background:yellow;"|5

|style="background:yellow;"|2

|T27

|T40

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T12

|style="background:lime;"|1

|T51

|T15

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1970

!1971

!1972

!1973

!1974

!1975

!1976

!1977

!1978

!1979

align=left|Masters Tournament

|T12

|style="background:yellow;"|T4

|CUT

|style="background:yellow;"|T10

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T33

|style="background:yellow;"|T8

|T11

|CUT

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T27

|T11

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|T29

|T14

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|T12

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

|style="background:yellow;"|T10

|style="background:yellow;"|T2

|style="background:yellow;"|T6

|T19

|style="background:yellow;"|T7

class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;text-align:center;"

!Tournament

!1980

!1981

!1982

align=left|Masters Tournament

|CUT

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|U.S. Open

|style="background:#eeeeee;"|

align=left|PGA Championship

|CUT

|T19

|CUT

Note: January never played in The Open Championship.

CUT = missed the halfway cut (3rd round cut in 1964 PGA Championship)

WD = withdrew

"T" indicates a tie for a place

=Summary=

Totals	1	2	1	8	16	34	58	43
class=wikitable style=text-align:center !Tournament !! Wins !! 2nd !! 3rd !! Top-5 !! Top-10 !! Top-25 !! Events !! Cuts made
align=left\|Masters Tournament	0	0	0	3	7	13	20	16
align=left\|U.S. Open	0	0	1	1	2	9	17	11
align=left\|The Open Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
align=left\|PGA Championship	1	2	0	4	7	12	21	16