Class of 1979
Don January
Professional Player
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Biography
Don January was born in Plainview, Texas and graduated from Sunset High School in Dallas.
As a member of the PGA Tour from 1956 until 1976, Don January won 10 events, including the 1967 PGA Championship defeating fellow Texas Golf Hall of Fame Member Don Massengale in a playoff.
He then added 22 Senior PGA Tour, including the 1979 and 1982 PGA Seniors' Championships. He has a place in the record books as the first player to surpass the $1 million mark in Senior Tour earnings in 1985. January had already gained notice as a collegian, who along with teammates Billy Maxwell and Joe Conrad, played on three consecutive NCAA championship teams at North Texas State.
January won the Vardon Trophy in 1976 at age 46. January earned spots on the 1965 and 1977 Ryder Cup teams and served as a Player Director on the Tour Policy Board in 1970.
Birthplace: Plainview, Texas
Born: November 20, 1929
Died: May 7, 2023