Evening star., 1961-07-31

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he loses the playoff for the
PGA championship today to
Jerry Barber.
1t was beyond comprehension
that January didn't win the
PGA championship yesterday
at Olympia Fields.
But he didn't, because Bar
ber tied him with a finish that
will rank with Lew Worsham's
wedge shot at Tam O'Shanter
in 1854 and Palmer's birdie
birdie finish to win the Mas
ters last year.
Eye-Blinking Comeback
January led by four strokes
with three holes to play, and
he matched Barber on one Of
the three holes. But Jerry, the
little guy who is As years old,
finished birdie-par-birdie to
January's bogey-par- -bogey to
tie with 277s, three under par
for the 72 holes.
Barber holed a 20-foot birdie
putt on the 10th, a 40-foot.
sidehilI putt for a par on the
18th, and a fantastic, curling
60-footer for a birdie three on
the 18th.
They will play off at Q o'clock
washington time) today for
first money of $1,000, plus a
share of the gate. The runner
up gets $500.
The millions who had looked
forward to seeing the windup
on television were deprived of
one Of the great finishes in golf
history because a morning
thunderstorm caused a 90
minute delay.
Misses Decisive Putt
The tournament, which al
ready had lost a day because
of a downpour Friday, had a
36-hole windup. first since this
championship was changed to
stroke play four years ago.
After the delay it was $40 pm.
(Chicago time) before January
missed a 12-footer on the last
hole that would have won for
him. 49,"
Barber finished with a par
10 after 69-67-71 for his 277,
while January's over-par finish
left him with 72 after his
72-66-67 had given him a two
stroke lead with 10 holes to
play.
But despite Barber's amazing
finish. 100 feet Of puts on the |
last three holes, he had two
other holes that shook Janu-
ary and gave Jerry confidence.
On the par four third, a dog
leg where the second shot must
clear a ditch, Barber was I'M
trouble in three and holed a
50-foot approach shot for a par
four. He couldn't even see
the green. much less the cup.
After that shot he said, For
some cockeyed reason I felt 4
still had a chance"
Drops 16 FOoter
On the par four 10th, Barber
was in bitches, trees, and all
kinds of trouble and holed a !
16-footer from off the green
for a double-bogey six. On the
fifth he was in trouble all the
way and holed a 15-footer for a
bogey five. He birdied seven
and nine with IA and 18 footers.
While Barber was going
through all these heroics, jan
uary was breezing along with a
lead of from two to four strokes.
At times he appeared to be
moving from six to eight ahead,
but then Jerry would do some
thing impossible.
January birdied the first hole
of the afternoon round to
move three in front. Three
times on the front nine he
came out Of traps for pars, and
turned in "a. On the short 11th,
his tee shot hit the pin on
the carry and bounced to the
edge of the green.
January admitted he was
nervous on the last few holes.
Il might have been choking a !
bit, maybe we both were," he
said. He said Barber's finish
was the best he's ever seen.
Jerry described it as some
thing I couldn't believe. Il
couldn't have been more sur
prised if the sky had fallen"
Sanders Takes Third
Oh yes. somebody finished
third, they had to, Who was
it? Doug Sanders.
Despite the pros complaints
that 3S holes a day is too much,
there were more sub par
rounds yesterday afternoon
than on any day of the tourna-
ment. Sanders finished with
a So for $50 and won $500,
which helped him gain onI
Palmer and Gary Player, his
only predecessors in the money
list.
Palmer's 1888 finish was the
best of the day, but he was
too far back. Ted Kroll was
fourth with 281 for $3,100 after
making a bid early in the final
round but falling back.
Palmer tied for fifth with
five others, including Gene
Little, the National Open cham
ni01. and DONG Ford u,bo