Don January

United States · born November 20, 1929, Plainview, Texas · died May 7, 2023

1major championship

PGA Championship1 win, 2 2nds
Ryder Cup2 Cups

Summary

First major 1967 PGA Championship
Ryder Cup 2 Cups · 2-3-2 · 3 points (42.9%)
Runner-up in majors 2 times

Wins

1967 PGA Championship Columbine Country Club · 281 (-7) · won a playoff against Don Massengale

Near misses

1961 PGA Championship Olympia Fields Country Club · runner-up to Jerry Barber · 277 · lost playoff
1976 PGA Championship Congressional Country Club (Blue Course) · runner-up to Dave Stockton · 282

Ryder Cup

2 Cups, 7 matches: 2 won, 3 lost, 2 halved, 3 points. Foursomes 0-2-1, four-ball 2-0-0, singles 0-1-1.

1965 Royal Birkdale Golf Club USA · USA won 19.5–12.5 · 2-2-1, 2.5 points
1977 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club USA · USA won 12.5–7.5 · 0-1-1, 0.5 points

Rivals

Beat him

Beaten in finals and playoffs

Don MassengaleLost a playoff to Don January, 1967 PGA Championship

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Jerry Barber's rivals →

Moments

1967 PGA Championship Columbine played 7,436 yards at about 5,300 feet of altitude, the longest course in major championship history to that point.
1967 PGA Championship Don January, four behind Dan Sikes entering the final round, shot 68 to tie Don Massengale (66), then won the last 18-hole playoff in PGA history, 69–71.

Results by championship

Best day

1967 PGA Championship

Columbine Country Club, Littleton, Colorado · 281 (-7) · won a playoff against Don Massengale (January 69; Massengale 71)

Columbine played 7,436 yards at about 5,300 feet of altitude, the longest course in major championship history to that point.

Don January, four behind Dan Sikes entering the final round, shot 68 to tie Don Massengale (66), then won the last 18-hole playoff in PGA history, 69–71.

Chosen by rule: his most recent major win. Year page: 1967.

Career line, 1961–1977

PGA Championship

1961 PGA Championship: runner-up to Jerry Barber 1967 PGA Championship: won 1976 PGA Championship: runner-up to Dave Stockton

Ryder Cup

1965 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-2-1 1977 Ryder Cup (USA): 0-1-1

196519701975

5 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

Major win
Runner-up
Ryder Cup, USA

Don January was born on November 20, 1929, in Plainview, Texas. January won one major championship: the 1967 PGA Championship. January played in 2 Ryder Cups for USA (1965, 1977), winning 2, losing 3 and halving 2 of 7 matches for 3 points.

See Don January in our rooms: Greatest Golfer by State and Every Ground.

Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

The record

Wins in the majors (1)

1967 PGA Championship Columbine Country Club, Littleton, Colorado · 281 (-7) · won a playoff against Don Massengale (January 69; Massengale 71)

Near misses

1961 PGA Championship Olympia Fields Country Club · runner-up to Jerry Barber · 277 · lost playoff
1976 PGA Championship Congressional Country Club (Blue Course) · runner-up to Dave Stockton · 282

Ryder Cup

January played 2 Ryder Cups for USA: 7 matches, 2 won, 3 lost, 2 halved, 3 points (42.9% of those available). By format: foursomes 0-2-1, four-ball 2-0-0, singles 0-1-1 (won-lost-halved).

1965 Royal Birkdale Golf Club USA · USA won 19.5–12.5 · 2-2-1, 2.5 points
1977 Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club USA · USA won 12.5–7.5 · 0-1-1, 0.5 points

Partners, with matches played together: Ken Venturi (2), Tommy Jacobs (2), Ed Sneed (1).

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.