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 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 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, from the cup. January found another bunker short of the green and could not save par from .

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. 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 Art Wall Jr. 67 −3T2 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. PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Jerry Barber 69-67=136 −4T2 Don January 72-66=138 −2 Doug Sanders 70-68=138 4 Art Wall Jr. 67-72=139 −1T5 Jay Hebert 68-72=140 E Ted Kroll 72-68=140 Ernie Vossler 68-72=140T8 Don Fairfield 70-71=141 +1 Gene Littler 71-70=141 Bob Rosburg 70-71=141 Source:

Third round Sunday, July 30, 1961 (morning) PlacePlayerScoreTo par1 Don January 72-66-67=205 −52 Jerry Barber 69-67-71=207 −3T3 Wes Ellis 71-71-68=210 E Ted Kroll 72-68-70=210 5 Johnny Pott 71-73-67=211 +1T6 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=212T10 Gardner Dickinson 71-71-71=213 +3 Bob Goalby 73-72-68=213

Final round Sunday, July 30, 1961 (afternoon) PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)T1 Jerry Barber 69-67-71-70=277 −3Playoff Don January 72-66-67-72=2773 Doug Sanders 70-68-74-68=280 E 3,6004 Ted Kroll 72-68-70-71=281 +1 3,100T5 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 PlacePlayerScoreTo parMoney ($)1 Jerry Barber 35-32=67−311,0002 Don January 34-34=68−25,500

Scorecard Hole 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9 101112131415161718Par544443434 434534444 Barber−1−1−1EEEEEEEE−1−1−2−3−3−3−3 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