January, Getting a Little Friendly Help, Has Date With Success

It took Don January 35 years to win his first golf championship in the month of January, and when it was over, even he had to admit that it took some help from a friend.

January and Butch Baird, longtime PGA tour buddies and now friendly seniors rivals, played a game of who wants it the least in the final round of the MONY Tournament of Champions for seniors Saturday at the La Costa Country Club.

The two, paired for the final round, played 22 holes Saturday--including four playoff rounds--and between them managed only two birdies. The second--an eight-foot putt by January on the fourth sudden-death hole--won the tournament.

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

Baird, 50, had entered the final round leading by two strokes, but lost the lead on the 12th hole. January scored his only other birdie and Baird missed a four-foot putt for par and took a bogey.

Two holes later, January was unable to chip out of the sand on his first try at No. 14 and wound up with a double-bogey five. Baird’s par helped him regain a two-stroke lead with four holes left.

He still led by one as the players went to the par-4 18th. After January dropped a short putt for par, Baird needed only to find the hole in two shots from 20 feet away. But his first putt rolled by the hole on the left side and the second, from two feet, slipped by on the right to force 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.”

It turned out to be a short golf-cart ride back to No. 12 for the playoff. After each player parred, January had a chance to repay Baird for his favor at the 18th.

January had reached the green at the par-4 13th in two and was just two feet away from winning when he missed a short putt.

“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.”

Now it was Baird’s turn--again. On the 15th hole, Baird’s tee shot went left and landed in the rough behind some trees. He was able to hit out, but the ball hit some branches on the way to the green and stopped in a bunker. He chipped up but missed a 20-foot putt for par, leaving an opening for January, who had two chances to win it from eight feet out.

“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 in 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, the 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 was made with a smile, for January knows that a victory is a victory any way you can get it--especially in the month of his name.

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