Quick Facts
AriesBiography
Miller Westford Barber, Jr. (March 31, 1931 – June 11, 2013) was an American professional golfer who enjoyed significant success on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s, and a greater degree of success on the Senior PGA Tour (now the Champions Tour) in the 1980s.
Career
Barber was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1954, turned professional four years later, and 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. Also in 1969, Barber entered the final round of the Masters Tournament two shots out of the lead and was paired in Sunday's final group but shot a final round 74 to finish 7th. 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.
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. Barber was survived by his wife of 43 years, Karen, and sons Larry and Richard and stepsons Casey, Doug, Brad.
Professional wins (43)
PGA Tour wins (11)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 22, 1964 | Cajun Classic Open Invitational | −7 (72-70-68-67=277) | 5 strokes | Gay Brewer, Jack Nicklaus |
| 2 | May 28, 1967 | Oklahoma City Open Invitational | −10 (70-72-68-68=278) | Playoff | Gary Player |
| 3 | Apr 28, 1968 | Byron Nelson Golf Classic | −10 (67-68-65-70=270) | 1 stroke | Kermit Zarley |
| 4 | Jan 20, 1969 | Kaiser International Open Invitational | −9 (68-67=135) | 1 stroke | Bruce Devlin |
| 5 | Apr 20, 1970 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | −10 (68-71-69-70=278) | Playoff | Bob Charles, Howie Johnson |
| 6 | Jan 24, 1971 | Phoenix Open Invitational | −23 (65-64-67-65=261) | 2 strokes | Billy Casper, Dan Sikes |
| 7 | Jan 24, 1972 | Dean Martin Tucson Open | −15 (68-73-67-65=273) | Playoff | George Archer |
| 8 | Nov 17, 1973 | World Open Golf Championship | +2 (68-74-73-74-67-73-72-69=570) | 3 strokes | Ben Crenshaw |
| 9 | Sep 22, 1974 | Ohio Kings Island Open | −7 (68-68-69-72=277) | 3 strokes | George Johnson |
| 10 | Oct 2, 1977 | Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic | −16 (71-66-70-65=272) | 2 strokes | George Archer |
| 11 | Jan 15, 1978 | Phoenix Open (2) | −12 (68-69-70-65=272) | 1 stroke | Jerry Pate, Lee Trevino |
PGA Tour playoff record (3–4)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1964 | Pensacola Open | Arnold Palmer, Gary Player | Lost 18-hole playoff (Player:71, Palmer:72, Barber:74) |
| 2 | 1967 | Oklahoma City Open | Gary Player | Won with birdie on third extra hole |
| 3 | 1970 | Greater New Orleans Open Invitational | Bob Charles, Howie Johnson | Won with birdie on second extra hole |
| 4 | 1972 | Dean Martin Tucson Open | George Archer | Won with birdie on third extra hole after 18-hole playoff (Archer:72, Barber:72) |
| 5 | 1973 | Greater New Orleans Open | Jack Nicklaus | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 6 | 1973 | Liggett & Myers Open | Bert Greene | Lost to birdie on fifth extra hole |
| 7 | 1976 | San Antonio Texas Open | Butch Baird | Lost to birdie on first extra hole |
Other wins (1)
- 1962 Metropolitan Open
Senior PGA Tour wins (24)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jun 14, 1981 | Peter Jackson Champions | −12 (67-68-69=204) | Playoff | Gene Littler |
| 2 | Oct 18, 1981 | Suntree Seniors Classic | −12 (68-71-65=204) | 4 strokes | Bob Goalby |
| 3 | Dec 6, 1981 | PGA Seniors' Championship | −7 (68-72-68-73=281) | 2 strokes | Arnold Palmer |
| 4 | Jul 11, 1982 | U.S. Senior Open | −2 (72-74-71-65=282) | 4 strokes | Gene Littler, Dan Sikes |
| 5 | Oct 17, 1982 | Suntree Classic (2) | −24 (66-66-66-66=264) | 5 strokes | Don January |
| 6 | Oct 24, 1982 | Hilton Head Seniors International | −6 (69-69=138) | Tie | Dan Sikes |
| 7 | Jun 12, 1983 | Senior Tournament Players Championship | −10 (71-69-70-68=278) | 1 stroke | Gene Littler |
| 8 | Jul 17, 1983 | Merrill Lynch/Golf Digest Commemorative Pro-Am | −16 (65-66-69=200) | 5 strokes | Gay Brewer |
| 9 | Oct 2, 1983 | United Virginia Bank Seniors | −5 (68-71-72=211) | 1 stroke | Roberto De Vicenzo, Rod Funseth, Don January |
| 10 | Oct 23, 1983 | Hilton Head Seniors International (2) | −7 (72-69-71-69=281) | 3 strokes | Gay Brewer, Jim Ferree, Gene Littler |
| 11 | Jun 17, 1984 | Roy Clark Senior Challenge | −1 (71-73-68=212) | 1 stroke | Don January, Peter Thomson |
| 12 | Jul 1, 1984 | U.S. Senior Open (2) | +6 (74-71-70-71=286) | 2 strokes | Arnold Palmer |
| 13 | Jul 8, 1984 | Greater Syracuse Senior's Pro Classic | −10 (69-70-67=206) | 3 strokes | Rod Funseth |
| 14 | Jul 29, 1984 | Denver Post Champions of Golf | −8 (68-70-70=208) | 3 strokes | Gay Brewer |
| 15 | Feb 10, 1985 | Sunrise Senior Classic | −5 (76-66-69=211) | 1 stroke | Orville Moody |
| 16 | Jun 30, 1985 | U.S. Senior Open (3) | −3 (71-72-71-71=285) | 4 strokes | Roberto De Vicenzo |
| 17 | Sep 22, 1985 | PaineWebber World Seniors Invitational | −11 (72-67-67-71=277) | 2 strokes | Gay Brewer |
| 18 | Jan 11, 1986 | MONY Senior Tournament of Champions | −6 (70-70-70-72=282) | 5 strokes | Arnold Palmer |
| 19 | Aug 30, 1987 | Showdown Classic | −6 (71-67-72=210) | 1 stroke | Bruce Crampton |
| 20 | Sep 27, 1987 | Newport Cup | −14 (67-70-65=202) | 2 strokes | Bruce Crampton |
| 21 | Ju1 18, 1988 | Showdown Classic (2) | −9 (70-67-70=207) | 2 strokes | Orville Moody, Dick Rhyan, Ben Smith |
| 22 | Nov 13, 1988 | Fairfield Barnett Classic | −19 (64-65-68=197) | 5 strokes | Homero Blancas |
| 23 | Jan 8, 1989 | MONY Senior Tournament of Champions (2) | −8 (73-67-68-72=280) | 1 stroke | Dale Douglass |
| 24 | Mar 5, 1989 | Vintage Chrysler Invitational | −7 (70-70-72-69=281) | 1 stroke | Don Bies, Bob Charles, Larry Mowry |
The 1982 Hilton Head Seniors International was shortened to 36 holes due to inclement weather. Barber and Dan Sikes were declared co-champions.
Senior PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1981 | Peter Jackson Champions | Gene Littler | Won with par on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1986 | Bank One Senior Golf Classic | Bob Goalby, Gene Littler | Littler won with par on third extra hole Goalby eliminated with par on first hole |
Senior majors are shown in bold.
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 |
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 | Arnold Palmer |
| 1982 | U.S. Senior Open | −2 (72-74-71-65=282) | 4 strokes | Gene Littler, Dan Sikes |
| 1983 | Senior Tournament Players Championship | −10 (71-69-70-68=278) | 1 stroke | Gene Littler |
| 1984 | U.S. Senior Open | +6 (74-71-70-71=286) | 2 strokes | Arnold Palmer |
| 1985 | U.S. Senior Open | −3 (71-72-71-71=285) | 4 strokes | Roberto De Vicenzo |
U.S. national team appearances
Professional
- Ryder Cup: 1969 (winners), 1971 (winners)