Don January, 1967 PGA Champion, Dies at 93 in Dallas

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Don January Dies 1967 PGA
Don January poses with the Wanamaker Trophy after winning the 1967 PGA Championship at Columbine CC in Colorado. (Photo Credit: PGA of America)

Golfer Don January died Sunday at age 93 in Dallas, Texas, the same city where he claimed his first PGA Tour trophy at the Dallas Centennial Open (now titled AT&T Byron Nelson) which ironically gets under way this week.

The PGA Tour announced the passing but did not list the cause of death.

January is best remembered for winning the 1967 PGA Championship at Columbine Country Club in Denver. He shot 69 to edge Don Massengale by two shots in an 18-hole playoff.

January also won the 1979 and 1982 editions of the PGA Senior Championship becoming one of only eleven players in history to win both PGA of America’s men’s majors, joining legends Gene Sarazen, Sam Snead, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino and Ray Floyd.

The Texas native was a star on the North Texas State golf team that won four straight NCAA Division I titles (1949-52). After college he joined the then fledging PGA tour, winning 10 titles while finishing runner-up another 17 times, including five playoff losses. In 1976, at age 47, he was awarded the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average.

Don January 1965 Ryder Cup
1965 U.S. Ryder Cup golfers line up: (l-r) Arnold Palmer, Tommy Jacobs, Gene Littler, Dave Marr, Tony Lema, captain Byron Nelson, Julius Boros, Don January, Johnny Pott, Ken Venturi, Billy Casper at Royal Birkdale in Birkdale, Lancashire, England. (Photo by PA Images via Getty Images)

January was a member of the 1965 and 1977 winning U.S. Ryder Cup teams.

After turning 50, January would become one of the most prolific winners on the brand-new PGA Senior Tour (now called the PGA Tour Champions). He claimed 22 senior circuit trophies between 1980 and 1987, including the very first event ever contested on the new tour, the Atlantic City Senior International.

Reuters and The Associated Press reports were used to produce this content.

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