| 1961 PGA Championship | |
Known as one of the better putters of his day, Jerry Barber proved it at the 1961 PGA Championship. Barber and Don January were trading the lead at the tournament, Barber leading after the second round and January after the third.
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. And Barber won that playoff, shooting 67 to January's 68.
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 Scores
Results from the 1961 PGA Championship golf tournament played at the par-70 Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois (x-won playoff):
| x-Jerry Barber | 69-67-71-70--277 | $11,000 |
| Don January | 72-66-67-72--277 | $5,500 |
| Doug Sanders | 70-68-74-68--280 | $3,600 |
| Ted Kroll | 72-68-70-71--281 | $3,100 |
| Wes Ellis Jr. | 71-71-68-72--282 | $2,208 |
| Doug Ford | 69-73-74-66--282 | $2,208 |
| Gene Littler | 71-70-72-69--282 | $2,208 |
| Arnold Palmer | 73-72-69-68--282 | $2,208 |
| Johnny Pott | 71-73-67-71--282 | $2,208 |
| Art Wall | 67-72-73-70--282 | $2,208 |
| Paul Harney | 70-73-69-71--283 | $1,650 |
| Cary Middlecoff | 74-69-71-69--283 | $1,650 |
| Jay Hebert | 68-72-72-72--284 | $1,500 |
| Walter Burkemo | 71-71-73-70--285 | $1,400 |
| Billy Casper | 74-72-69-71--286 | $1,225 |
| Bob Goalby | 73-72-68-73--286 | $1,225 |
| Ernie Vossler | 68-72-71-75--286 | $1,225 |
| Don Whitt | 76-72-70-68--286 | $1,225 |
| Gardner Dickinson | 71-71-71-74--287 | $1,016 |
| Jack Fleck | 70-74-73-70--287 | $1,016 |
| Bob Rosburg | 70-71-73-73--287 | $1,016 |
| George Bayer | 73-71-72-72--288 | $780 |
| Don Fairfield | 70-71-74-73--288 | $780 |
| Fred Hawkins | 75-73-71-69--288 | $780 |
| Dave Marr | 72-74-73-69--288 | $780 |
| Shelley Mayfield | 70-74-72-72--288 | $780 |
| Billy Maxwell | 71-72-73-73--289 | $575 |
| Sam Snead | 72-71-71-75--289 | $575 |
| Charles Bassler | 73-73-72-72--290 | $425 |
| Bob Keller | 72-73-72-73--290 | $425 |
| Al Mengert | 72-74-72-72--290 | $425 |
| Gary Player | 72-74-71-73--290 | $425 |
| Billy Farrell | 75-72-72-72--291 | $262 |
| Jon Gustin | 75-72-75-69--291 | $262 |
| Mac Hunter | 74-71-73-73--291 | $262 |
| Dave Ragan | 73-72-73-73--291 | $262 |
| Clarence Doser | 71-75-73-73--292 | $250 |
| Mason Rudolph | 71-71-73-77--292 | $250 |
| Ken Venturi | 72-72-77-71--292 | $250 |
| Lew Worsham | 75-73-73-71--292 | $250 |
| Manuel De La Torre | 72-72-76-73--293 | $225 |
| Dow Finsterwald | 74-74-71-74--293 | $225 |
| Bud Holscher | 77-68-75-74--294 | $225 |
| Jack McGowan | 76-70-77-71--294 | $225 |
| Buster Cupit | 70-78-72-75--295 | $225 |
| Jim Ferrier | 73-73-77-72--295 | $225 |
| Marty Furgol | 71-74-72-78--295 | $225 |
| Milon Marusic | 75-73-74-73--295 | $225 |
| Mike Souchak | 72-72-74-77--295 | $225 |
| Fred Haas Jr. | 72-76-75-73--296 | $225 |
| Charles Malchaski | 72-73-77-74--296 | $225 |
| Jack Burke Jr. | 76-71-72-78--297 | $225 |
| Chick Harbert | 73-75-73-76--297 | $225 |
| Tom Nieporte | 75-72-75-75--297 | $225 |
| Sam Bernardi | 75-72-75-76--298 | $225 |
| Pete Cooper | 74-74-75-75--298 | $225 |
| Johnny Bulla | 74-73-77-76--300 | $225 |
| Mike Krak | 71-76-77-76--300 | $225 |
| Sam Penecale | 72-73-79-76--300 | $225 |
| Bill Heinlein | 69-77-79-76--301 | $225 |
| Marshall Springer | 74-71-77-80--302 | $225 |
| J.L. McReynolds | 73-74-79-78--304 | $225 |
| Al Besselink | 74-73-83-75--305 | $225 |
| Leon Butler | 75-72-77-84--308 | $225 |
1960 PGA Championship | 1962 PGA Championship
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