Miller Barber facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Miller Barber |
|
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Miller Westford Barber Jr. |
| Nickname | Mr. X |
| Born | March 31, 1931 Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Died | June 11, 2013 (aged 82) Scottsdale, Arizona |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg; 14 st) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Career | |
| College | University of Arkansas |
| Turned professional | 1958 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Senior PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 43 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 11 |
| Champions Tour | 24 (6th all-time) |
| Other | 1 (regular) 7 (senior) |
| Best results in Major Championships |
|
| The Masters Tournament | 7th: 1969 |
| U.S. Open | 6th/T6: 1969, 1970 |
| The Open Championship | 10th: 1969 |
| PGA Championship | T4: 1971 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| Senior PGA Tour money list winner |
1981, 1982 |
| Senior PGA Tour Byron Nelson Award |
1981 |
Miller Westford Barber Jr. (born March 31, 1931 – died June 11, 2013) was a well-known American professional golfer. He had great success on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s. He became even more successful on the Senior PGA Tour (now called the Champions Tour) in the 1980s.
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Miller Barber's Golf Journey
Miller Barber was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. He spent most of his life in Texarkana, Texas. He finished college at the University of Arkansas in 1954. Four years later, in 1958, he became a professional golfer.
Early PGA Tour Success
Miller Barber won his first PGA Tour event in 1964. He won a total of 11 tournaments during his career on the PGA Tour. He never won a major championship, which are the biggest golf tournaments. His closest call was at the U.S. Open in 1969. He was leading by three shots after three rounds. However, he shot a higher score in the final round. He finished three shots behind the winner, Orville Moody.
Earlier in 1969, at the Masters Tournament, he was only two shots behind the leader. He played in the final group on Sunday. He finished in 7th place in that tournament. Miller Barber also played for the Ryder Cup team in 1969 and 1971. This team represents the United States in a big golf competition. In 1971, he was ranked sixth in the world golf rankings.
Longest Tournament Win
In 1973, Miller Barber won the longest regular tournament in PGA Tour history. This event was called the World Open Golf Championship. It was played over 144 holes, which is a lot of golf! Barber won by three strokes over fellow golfer Ben Crenshaw.
Dominance on the Senior Tour
The Senior PGA Tour started around the time Miller Barber became old enough to play on it. He quickly became one of the best players there throughout the 1980s. He competed against famous golfers like Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer. He won 24 tournaments on the Senior Tour. This included five major championships for senior golfers. Three of these wins were at the U.S. Senior Open.
Miller Barber holds a record for playing in the most tournaments. He played in a combined 1,297 events on the PGA Tour and Champions Tour. He had a unique way of swinging the golf club. He used a "looped" backswing and downswing. But he was very good at hitting the ball straight. Other golfers, like Jim Furyk, have also had success with similar swings.
Miller Barber's Tournament Wins
Miller Barber had a very successful career. He won a total of 43 professional golf tournaments.
PGA Tour Victories
He won 11 tournaments on the main PGA Tour. His wins included the Phoenix Open Invitational twice. He also won the Byron Nelson Golf Classic.
Senior PGA Tour Victories
Miller Barber was incredibly successful on the Senior PGA Tour. He won 24 tournaments there. This makes him one of the top golfers with the most wins on that tour. His major senior wins included:
- The PGA Seniors' Championship in 1981.
- The U.S. Senior Open three times: in 1982, 1984, and 1985.
- The Senior Tournament Players Championship in 1983.
Other Notable Wins
Besides the main tours, Miller Barber also won other events. He won the Metropolitan Open in 1962. On the senior circuit, he won the Coca-Cola Grandslam Championship in 1985 and the Fuji Electric Grandslam Championship in 1991. He also won the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf - Demaret Division twice with Jim Ferree.
Major Championship Performance
Even though Miller Barber didn't win a major championship, he had some strong finishes. He finished in the top 10 seven times in major tournaments. His best results were:
- 7th place at the Masters Tournament in 1969.
- Tied for 6th place at the U.S. Open in 1969 and 1970.
- 10th place at The Open Championship in 1969.
- Tied for 4th place at the PGA Championship in 1971.
He made the cut in 35 out of 49 major championship events he played. This shows he was a very consistent player.
Team USA Appearances
Miller Barber represented the United States in the Ryder Cup twice.
- In 1969, the team tied, and the U.S. kept the cup.
- In 1971, the U.S. team won the Ryder Cup.
Passing Away
Miller Barber passed away on June 11, 2013. He was 82 years old. He died from lymphoma in Scottsdale, Arizona. He was survived by his wife, Karen, and his children.
See also
- List of golfers with most PGA Tour Champions wins
- List of golfers with most Champions Tour major championship wins
