Miller Barber

The Texarkana pro with the looped swing and a record 1,297 combined tour starts.

Miller Westford Barber Jr. (March 31, 1931 – June 11, 2013) was an American professional golfer. He performed well on the PGA Tour during the 1960s and 1970s, but his best years came later on the Senior PGA Tour in the 1980s.

Barber was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and lived most of his life in Texarkana, Texas. He graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1954 and turned professional in 1958. His first PGA Tour victory came in 1964, and he finished his career with 11 tour wins, though he never won a major championship. His closest brush with a major was at the 1969 U.S. Open in Houston, where he led by three shots after three rounds but shot a final-round 78, finishing three strokes behind winner Orville Moody. Earlier that year at the Masters, he entered the final round two shots back and played in the last group with Billy Casper; he shot a 74, including a birdie from under a tree on the 72nd hole, and tied for seventh. Barber represented the United States on the Ryder Cup team in 1969 and 1971, and in 1971 he ranked sixth in the McCormack world rankings.

In 1973, Barber won the longest regulation tournament in PGA Tour history: the World Open Golf Championship at Pinehurst Country Club, a 144-hole event. He beat Ben Crenshaw by three strokes.

Barber became eligible for the Senior PGA Tour roughly a year after it began and dominated the circuit throughout the 1980s, competing evenly with more decorated players like Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer. He won 24 times on the senior tour, including five senior majors—three of them U.S. Senior Opens. Barber holds the record for combined PGA Tour and Champions Tour starts with 1,297.

His swing featured an unusual looped backswing and downswing, but he consistently squared the clubface at impact. Other PGA Tour players, including Jim Furyk, have found success with similar techniques.

Barber died of lymphoma on June 11, 2013, in Scottsdale, Arizona, at age 82. He was survived by his wife of 43 years, Karen; sons Larry and Richard; and stepsons Casey, Doug, and Brad.