Labron Harris Jr.

{{short description|American professional golfer}} {{use mdy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Infobox golfer | name = Labron Harris Jr. | image = | imagesize =  | caption = | fullname = Labron E. Harris Jr. | nickname = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1941|9|27}} | birth_place = Stillwater, Oklahoma, U.S. | death_date =  | death_place = | height = {{height|ft=6|in=4}} | weight = {{convert|200|lb|kg st|abbr=on}} | nationality = {{USA}} | residence = | spouse = | partner = | children = | college = Oklahoma State University | yearpro = 1964 | retired =  | tour =  | extour = PGA Tour<br>Champions Tour | prowins = 2 | pgawins = 1 | otherwins = 1 | majorwins =  | masters = T32: 1963 | usopen = T24: 1965 | open = DNP | pga = T63: 1971 | wghofid =  | wghofyear =  | award1 =  | year1 =  | award2 = | year2 = | awardssection =  }} '''Labron E. Harris Jr.''' (born September 27, 1941) is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour in the 1960s and 1970s.

Harris was born in Stillwater, Oklahoma,<ref name=who>{{cite book |last1=Elliott |first1=Len |first2=Barbara |last2=Kelly |title=Who's Who in Golf |year=1976 |publisher=Arlington House |location=New Rochelle, New York |isbn=0-87000-225-2 |page=[https://archive.org/details/whoswhoingolf00elli/page/84 84] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/whoswhoingolf00elli/page/84 }}</ref> and grew up playing the Oklahoma State University practice facility, Lakeside Golf Course. He attended Oklahoma State University, where he was a distinguished member of the golf team: second-team All-American in 1961, first-team All-American and winner of the U.S. Amateur in 1962. Harris won the 1983 Oklahoma Open and was low amateur at the 1963 Masters. He played on the winning Walker Cup, Eisenhower Trophy and Americas Cup teams. Harris turned professional in 1964; he was runner-up in voting for Rookie of the Year. Harris won the 1964 Par 3 Tournament preceding the Masters.

His father, Labron Harris, Sr. was the Oklahoma State Cowboys golf coach from 1947 to 1973.

In addition to playing golf at Oklahoma State, Harris earned a master's degree in statistics while studying at the university.<ref name=who/>

Harris defeated Bert Yancey in a playoff at the 1971 Robinson Open Golf Classic.<ref name=who/><ref>{{cite web|title=Today in Golf History: September 26 |url=http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/features/history/article/0,17742,468197,00.html |access-date=December 27, 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071011095832/http://www.golfonline.com/golfonline/features/history/article/0%2C17742%2C468197%2C00.html |archivedate=October 11, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Also in 1971, Harris was the first-round leader at the U.S. Open with a score of 67, eventually fading to finish the tournament at T-46.<ref>{{cite web |title=1971 U.S. Open |url=http://www.usopen.com/2005/history/pastchamps/1971.html |access-date=December 27, 2007 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071024040614/http://www.usopen.com/2005/history/pastchamps/1971.html |archivedate = 2007-10-24}}</ref> His best finish in a major was a T-24 at the 1965 U.S. Open.<ref>{{cite web |title=Golf Major Championships |url=http://golfmajorchampionships.com/players?player=1378 |access-date=December 27, 2007}}</ref>

Harris served as vice-president of the PGA of America and was a member of the PGA Tour Policy Board 1975–1976. In 1977, Harris joined the PGA Tour staff as Director of Tournament Operations. Duties included purse negotiations and scheduling with the sponsors, running the Qualifying Schools, supporting the field staff in tournament operations and general support activities of the PGA Tour operations.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} During this time he redid the tournament purse breakdown to its present form, worked with John Barron of Rogers and Wells law firm to rewrite the tournament regulations, worked with Merrill Lynch to work out a more convenient payment of the purse to the players, started the Senior PGA Tour and was a part of many other positive changes in the tour operations.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In 1981, he left the PGA Tour to work with Kemper Sports Management, a company involved with golf course and tournament management. He was Executive Director of the men's and women's Kemper Opens from 1982–1986 as well as the PGA Seniors in 1982 and the 1983 Ryder Cup. The 1983 Ryder Cup was the first one that sought out corporate sponsorships and was the start of what is now recognized as one of the premier golf events. In 1986, he left Kemper Sports Management and started his own consulting firm which he operated until he began preparing for the Champions Tour. Harris retired from golf in 1996.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

Harris is currently a prominent stamp dealer with a U.S. postal history specialty living in Maryland.

==Amateur wins== *1960 Western Junior *1962 U.S. Amateur

==Professional wins (2)== ===PGA Tour wins (1)=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Date!!Tournament!!Winning score!!Margin of<br>victory!!Runner-up |- |align=center|1 |align=right|Sep 26, 1971 |Robinson Open Golf Classic |−10 (68-70-69-67=274) |Playoff |{{flagicon|USA}} Bert Yancey |}

'''PGA Tour playoff record (1–1)''' {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;" !No.!!Year!!Tournament!!Opponent!!Result |-style="background:#F2C1D1;" |align=center|1 |1968 |Philadelphia Golf Classic |{{flagicon|USA}} Bob Murphy |Lost to birdie on third extra hole |-style="background:#D0F0C0;" |align=center|2 |1971 |Robinson Open Golf Classic |{{flagicon|USA}} Bert Yancey |Won with birdie on third extra hole |}

===Other wins (1)=== *1963 Oklahoma Open

==U.S. national team appearances== '''Amateur''' *Walker Cup: 1963 (winners) *Eisenhower Trophy: 1962 (winners) *Americas Cup: 1963 (winners)

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{PGATour player|01486}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Labron Jr.}} Category:American male golfers Category:Oklahoma State Cowboys golfers Category:PGA Tour golfers Category:PGA Tour Champions golfers Category:Golfers from Oklahoma Category:Sportspeople from Stillwater, Oklahoma Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century American sportsmen