Miller Barber
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox golfer Miller Westford Barber Jr. (March 31, 1931 – June 11, 2013) was an American professional golfer. He enjoyed significant success on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s, and a greater degree of success on the Senior PGA Tour in the 1980s.
Early life
Barber was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.[1] He spent much of his life in Texarkana, Texas. Barber graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1954.
Professional career
In 1958, he turned professional. He won his first PGA Tour event in 1964. He earned 11 career tour wins, but did not win a major championship. The closest he came was in 1969 at the U.S. Open at Houston, where he held a three-shot lead over the field after three rounds, but shot 78 in the last round to finish three shots behind winner Orville Moody. Earlier in April 1969, Barber entered the final round of the Masters Tournament two shots out of the lead and was paired in Sunday's final group with Billy Casper but shot a final round 74 (which included a birdie from under a tree on the 72nd hole) and finished in 7th place. He played on the Ryder Cup team in 1969 and 1971, and in the latter year was ranked sixth on the McCormack rankings.
In 1973, Barber won the longest regulation tournament in PGA Tour history. The World Open Golf Championship played at Pinehurst Country Club was a 144-hole affair. Barber won by three strokes over Ben Crenshaw.
Barber became eligible to play on the Senior PGA Tour around a year after it was founded. He was one of the dominant players on the tour throughout the 1980s, competing on even terms with players who had had much more distinguished earlier careers, such as Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer. His 24 wins on the tour included five senior majors, three of them U.S. Senior Opens.
Barber holds the record for combined PGA Tour and Champions Tour starts at 1,297.[1]
Barber played with an unusual looped backswing/downswing, but squared up very consistently through impact. Several other PGA Tour players, including Jim Furyk, have had success with similar methods.
Death
Barber died June 11, 2013, at the age of 82 of lymphoma in Scottsdale, Arizona.[1][2] Barber was survived by his wife of 43 years, Karen,[3] and sons Larry and Richard and stepsons Casey, Doug, Brad.[3][4]
Professional wins (43)
PGA Tour wins (11)
PGA Tour playoff record (3–4)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1964 | Pensacola Open Invitational | Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer, Template:Flagicon Gary Player | Player won 18-hole playoff; Player: −1 (71), Palmer: E (72), Barber: +2 (74) |
| 2 | 1967 | Oklahoma City Open | Template:Flagicon Gary Player | Won with birdie on third extra hole |
| 3 | 1970 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | Template:Flagicon Bob Charles, Template:Flagicon Howie Johnson | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 4 | 1972 | Dean Martin Tucson Open | Template:Flagicon George Archer | Won with birdie on third extra hole after 18-hole playoff; Archer: E (72), Barber: E (72) |
| 5 | 1973 | Greater New Orleans Open | Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 6 | 1973 | Liggett & Myers Open | Template:Flagicon Bert Greene | Lost to birdie on fifth extra hole |
| 7 | 1976 | San Antonio Texas Open | Template:Flagicon Butch Baird | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (1)
- 1962 Metropolitan Open
Senior PGA Tour wins (24)
| Legend |
|---|
| Senior PGA Tour major championships (5) |
| Other Senior PGA Tour (19) |
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1981 | Peter Jackson Champions | Template:Flagicon Gene Littler | Won with par on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1986 | Bank One Senior Golf Classic | Template:Flagicon Bob Goalby, Template:Flagicon Gene Littler | Littler won with par on third extra hole Goalby eliminated by par on first hole |
Japan Senior wins (2)
- 1985 Coca-Cola Grandslam Championship
- 1991 Fuji Electric Grandslam Championship
Other senior wins (5)
- 1982 Vintage Invitational
- 1985 Shootout at Jeremy Ranch (with Ben Crenshaw)
- 1987 Mazda Champions (with Nancy Lopez)
- 2002 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Demaret Division (with Jim Ferree)
- 2003 Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Demaret Division (with Jim Ferree)
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 1961 | 1962 | 1963 | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T12 | 7 | |||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | 22 | CUT | T32 | T26 | T18 | T24 | T6 | |
| The Open Championship | 10 | ||||||||
| PGA Championship | DQ | T34 | T8 | T5 |
| Tournament | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T21 | CUT | CUT | T43 | T15 | T26 | T24 | T12 | ||
| U.S. Open | 6 | 59 | T29 | T25 | T24 | T38 | CUT | T35 | CUT | |
| The Open Championship | CUT | T60 | CUT | |||||||
| PGA Championship | CUT | T4 | T16 | T24 | T60 | T51 | T25 | T28 |
| Tournament | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | CUT | ||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | CUT | |||||
| The Open Championship | |||||||
| PGA Championship | T65 | CUT | T34 |
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
<templatestyles src="Legend/styles.css" />
DQ = disqualified
CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1970 and 1974 Open Championships)
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Summary
| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 8 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 13 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 15 | 12 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 49 | 35 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 12 (1966 U.S. Open – 1970 U.S. Open)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 5 (1968 PGA – 1969 PGA)
Champions Tour major championships
Wins (5)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | PGA Seniors' Championship | −7 (68-72-68-73=281) | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer |
| 1982 | U.S. Senior Open | −2 (72-74-71-65=282) | 4 strokes | Template:Flagicon Gene Littler, Template:Flagicon Dan Sikes |
| 1983 | Senior Tournament Players Championship | −10 (71-69-70-68=278) | 1 stroke | Template:Flagicon Gene Littler |
| 1984 | U.S. Senior Open (2) | +6 (74-71-70-71=286) | 2 strokes | Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer |
| 1985 | U.S. Senior Open(3) | −3 (71-72-71-71=285) | 4 strokes | Template:Flagicon Roberto De Vicenzo |
U.S. national team appearances
Professional
See also
- List of golfers with most PGA Tour Champions wins
- List of golfers with most Champions Tour major championship wins
Notes
References
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External links
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- Pages with script errors
- American male golfers
- Arkansas Razorbacks men's golfers
- PGA Tour golfers
- PGA Tour Champions golfers
- Winners of senior major golf championships
- Ryder Cup competitors for the United States
- Golfers from Shreveport, Louisiana
- Sportspeople from Texarkana, Texas
- Deaths from lymphoma in the United States
- Deaths from cancer in Arizona
- 1931 births
- 2013 deaths
- 20th-century American sportsmen