A King of Misnomers, Mr. January Finally Wins in First Month

It took Don January 35 years to win his first golf championship in the month of January, and when it was over, even January had to admit that he couldn’t have done it without a little help from a friend.

January and Butch Baird, longtime friends on the PGA Tour and now amicable rivals on the Senior Tour, played a game of who wants it least in the final round of the MONY Tournament of Champions for seniors Saturday at La Costa. The two, paired for the final round, played 22 holes Saturday and between them could manage only two birdies. The second, an eight-foot putt by January on the fourth playoff hole, No. 15, finally won the championship.

“I have to admit, Butch was very nice to me,” January, 57, said. “It was one of those days when it seemed neither of us could make a shot. I feel sorry for Butch and feel happy for myself.”

That the tournament should end on a birdie putt was the day’s biggest irony. Because, for the preceding 21 holes, it seemed that neither player wanted the title. Baird had entered the final round, leading January by two strokes, but he lost that lead on the 12th hole when January scored his only other birdie of the day and Baird missed a four-foot putt and took a bogey.

Two holes later, January gave his friend control again. He was unable to chip out of the sand on his first try at No. 14 and wound up with a double-bogey five. Baird parred to regain a two-stroke lead with four holes left.

The lead was back to one, however, as the players went to the par-4 18th. After January dropped a short putt for par, Baird needed only to get down in 2 from 20 feet away. But his first putt rolled past the hole on the left side, and his comebacker from two feet slipped by on the right, forcing a playoff.

“Heck, I had already taken my glove off,” January said. “He hit such a good first putt that I figured it was all over. I told one of the TV guys that I’d see him down the road sometime.”

Down the road, as it turned out, was just a short golf-cart trip back over to No. 12 for the playoff. After each player parred there, January had a chance to repay Baird for his favor at No. 18.

January had reached the green at the par-4 13th in two and was just two feet away from ending the playoff. But he missed and the struggle continued.

“No question, I gave it back to him on that hole,” January said. “You hit good putts and you hit bad putts. That one fell into the bad category.”

The final bit of charity, however, would be presented by Baird two holes later. On No. 15, Baird’s tee shot went left and landed in the rough behind a couple of trees. He was able to hit out, but his ball hit some branches on the way to the green and wound up short in a bunker. He chipped up but missed a 20-foot putt for par, making it necessary for January to get down in two from eight feet away to win.

“The way things were going, there was no guarantee I was going to be able to do it,” January said.

But with the pressure off, January didn’t need a second putt. His birdie attempt dropped into the middle of the cup and, moments later, tournament officials were putting a sterling silver crown on his head, designating him as champion.

He didn’t wear the crown long.

“You guys better send this one to me,” said January, a lanky Texan who won the Tournament of Champions twice before he joined the Senior Tour in 1980. “Maybe by the time I get it, I’ll feel I deserve it a bit more.”

That last statement, he said with a smile, for January knows that a win is a win anyway you can get it--especially in the month that is his namesake.

“It’s pretty amazing I guess, but it’s taken me 35 years to win one of these tournaments in January,” said a player who won 12 PGA titles and 24 senior championships. “I hope it doesn’t take that long to win another, if I’m around, that is.”