Julius Boros

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Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox golfer Julius Nicolas Boros (March 3, 1920 – May 28, 1994) was an American professional golfer noted for his effortless-looking swing and strong record on difficult golf courses, particularly at the U.S. Open.<ref name="wghof">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=NYTobit>Template:Cite news</ref>

Early life and amateur career

Born in Fairfield, Connecticut, Boros was of Hungarian descent, and played varsity baseball in college.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> He then worked as an accountant while playing high-standard amateur golf.<ref name="wghof" /><ref name="NYTobit" />

Professional career

Boros turned professional in 1949 at age 29.<ref name="wghof" /><ref name="NYTobit" /> He won 18 PGA Tour events, including three major championships: the 1952 and 1963 U.S. Opens and the 1968 PGA Championship. He won his first by four strokes in the heat at the Northwood Club in Dallas, also his first PGA Tour victory, which interrupted the U.S. Open streak of 36-hole leader Ben Hogan for a year. In the windy 1963 U.S. Open near Boston, Boros defeated Arnold Palmer and Jacky Cupit in a playoff, after all had finished the 72 holes at a post-war record nine over par.

For over a half century, Boros was the oldest player to win a modern major, taking the 1968 PGA Championship in San Antonio by a stroke at age 48. One of the runners-up was Palmer, who never won the PGA Championship to complete his career grand slam. The previous oldest winner of a major was Old Tom Morris, age 46 in the 1867 Open Championship. Boros' mark was surpassed by Phil Mickelson, who won the PGA Championship in 2021 at age fifty.

Boros' best results among the majors were at the U.S. Open, with nine top-five finishes; he contended in that championship as late as 1973 at age 53, and tied for seventh.<ref name=wghof/><ref name=NYTobit/>

Boros was a member of the Ryder Cup team in 1959, 1963, 1965, and 1967. He was PGA Player of the Year in 1952 and 1963, and his total career PGA Tour earnings were $1,004,861. Boros was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1982.<ref name=wghof/><ref name=NYTobit/>

While other players often walked around a hole and studied the green for several minutes before putting – sometimes from their knees, Boros is remembered for not wasting any time on either the greens or the fairways. He would walk up to the ball and "just do it". Noted for his relaxed, nonchalant-looking swing and manner, he is remembered for his catchphrase "swing easy, hit hard." Boros had an exceptional short game.<ref name=wghof/>

Boros was also instrumental in starting the Senior PGA Tour in the late 1970s. The exciting televised playoff victory of Boros and partner Roberto De Vicenzo over Tommy Bolt and Art Wall Jr. at the Legends of Golf tournament in 1979 raised the profile of professional senior golf competition.<ref name=wghof/>

Personal life

Boros' first wife, Buttons Cosgrove, died in childbirth in 1951. Boros and his second wife, Armen, had seven children: four sons and three daughters. His son Guy Boros won on the PGA Tour in 1996, at the Greater Vancouver Open in late August.<ref name=wghof/><ref name=NYTobit/><ref name=revwnfmc>Template:Cite news</ref>

Boros suffered a fatal heart attack in 1994 on the golf course at the Coral Ridge Country Club in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was found sitting in a golf cart under a willow tree by two club members near the 16th hole, his favorite spot on the course.<ref name=wghof/><ref name=NYTobit/>

Professional wins (25)

PGA Tour wins (18)

Legend
Major championships (3)
Other PGA Tour (15)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory 		Runner(s)-up
1 Jun 14, 1952 U.S. Open 71-71-68-71=281 +1 4 strokes Template:Flagicon Ed Oliver
2 Aug 11, 1952 World Championship of Golf 68-71-70-67=276 −12 Playoff Template:Flagicon Cary Middlecoff
3 May 9, 1954 Ardmore Open 68-69-72-70=279 −1 1 stroke Template:Flagicon Jerry Barber
4 Jul 18, 1954 Carling Open 71-70-68-71=280 −8 Playoff Template:Flagicon George Fazio
5 Aug 14, 1955 World Championship of Golf (2) 70-72-69-70=281 −7 2 strokes Template:Flagicon Fred Haas
6 May 11, 1958 Arlington Hotel Open 70-64-68-71=273 −15 1 stroke Template:Flagicon Cary Middlecoff
7 Nov 9, 1958 Carling Open Invitational (2) 74-66-70-74=284 −4 2 strokes Template:Flagicon Billy Casper
8 Sep 14, 1959 Dallas Open Invitational 68-66-70-70=274 −10 1 stroke Template:Flagicon Dow Finsterwald, Template:Flagicon Earl Stewart,
Template:Flagicon Bo Wininger
9 May 15, 1960 Colonial National Invitation 70-71-69-70=280 E 1 stroke Template:Flagicon Gene Littler, Template:Flagicon Kel Nagle
10 May 12, 1963 Colonial National Invitation (2) 71-66-71-71=279 −1 4 strokes Template:Flagicon Gary Player
11 Jun 9, 1963 Buick Open Invitational 66-71-68-69=274 −14 5 strokes Template:Flagicon Dow Finsterwald
12 Jun 23, 1963 U.S. Open (2) 71-74-76-72=293 +9 Playoff Template:Flagicon Jacky Cupit, Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer
13 Apr 5, 1964 Greater Greensboro Open 68-70-73-66=277 −7 Playoff Template:Flagicon Doug Sanders
14 Feb 12, 1967 Phoenix Open Invitational 69-67-69-67=272 −12 1 stroke Template:Flagicon Ken Still
15 Mar 12, 1967 Florida Citrus Open Invitational 70-67-67-70=274 −10 1 stroke Template:Flagicon George Knudson, Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer
16 Jun 11, 1967 Buick Open Invitational (2) 72-72-70-69=283 −5 3 strokes Template:Flagicon Bob Goalby, Template:Flagicon R. H. Sikes,
Template:Flagicon Bert Yancey
17 Jul 21, 1968 PGA Championship 71-71-70-69=281 +1 1 stroke Template:Flagicon Bob Charles, Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer
18 Aug 18, 1968 Westchester Classic 70-65-69-68=272 −16 1 stroke Template:Flagicon Bob Murphy, Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus,
Template:Flagicon Dan Sikes

PGA Tour playoff record (4–6)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1952 World Championship of Golf Template:Flagicon Cary Middlecoff Won 18-hole playoff;
Boros: −4 (68),
Middlecoff: −2 (70)
2 1954 Miami Beach International Four-Ball
(with Template:Flagicon Dutch Harrison) 		Template:Flagicon Tommy Bolt and Template:Flagicon Dick Mayer Lost to birdie on first extra hole
3 1954 Carling Open Template:Flagicon George Fazio Won with par on first extra hole
4 1958 Dallas Open Invitational Template:Flagicon John McMullin, Template:Flagicon Gary Player,
Template:Flagicon Sam Snead 		Snead won with birdie on first extra hole
5 1959 Houston Classic Template:Flagicon Jack Burke Jr. Lost 18-hole playoff;
Burke: −8 (64),
Boros: −3 (69)
6 1963 U.S. Open Template:Flagicon Jacky Cupit, Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer Won 18-hole playoff;
Boros: −1 (70),
Cupit: + 2 (73),
Palmer: +5 (76)
7 1963 Western Open Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus, Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer Palmer won 18-hole playoff;
Palmer: −1 (70),
Boros: E (71),
Nicklaus: +2 (73)
8 1964 Greater Greensboro Open Template:Flagicon Doug Sanders Won with par on first extra hole
9 1969 Greater Greensboro Open Template:Flagicon Gene Littler, Template:Flagicon Orville Moody,
Template:Flagicon Tom Weiskopf 		Littler won with birdie on fifth extra hole
Weiskopf eliminated by par on first hole
10 1975 Westchester Classic Template:Flagicon Gene Littler Lost to par on first extra hole

Other wins (4)

This list may be incomplete

Senior wins (3)

Major championships

Wins (3)

Year Championship 54 holes Winning score Margin Runner(s)-up
1952 U.S. Open 2 shot lead +1 (71-71-68-71=281) 4 strokes Template:Flagicon Ed Oliver
1963 U.S. Open (2) 3 shot deficit +9 (71-74-76-72=293) Playoff1 Template:Flagicon Jacky Cupit, Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer
1968 PGA Championship 2 shot deficit +1 (71-71-70-69=281) 1 stroke Template:Flagicon Bob Charles, Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer

1Defeated Jacky Cupit and Arnold Palmer in an 18-hole playoff - Boros 70 (-1), Cupit 73 (+2), Palmer 76 (+5).

Results timeline

Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
Masters Tournament T35 17 T7 T10 T16 T4 T24 CUT T39 T8
U.S. Open 9 T4 1 T17 T23 T5 T2 T4 3 T28
The Open Championship
PGA Championship T5 T44
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Masters Tournament 5 CUT T11 T3 CUT CUT T28 5 T16 T33
U.S. Open T3 CUT 1 CUT T4 T17 WD T16 T13
The Open Championship 15
PGA Championship T24 CUT T11 T13 T21 T17 T6 T5 1 T25
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980
Masters Tournament T23 CUT CUT CUT T26
U.S. Open T12 T42 T29 T7 WD T38 CUT
The Open Championship
PGA Championship T26 T34 WD CUT T40 CUT T58 CUT CUT CUT

Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
"T" = tied

Summary

Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 0 1 4 7 13 25 18
U.S. Open 2 1 2 9 11 17 26 21
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1
PGA Championship 1 0 0 3 4 10 22 15
Totals 3 1 3 16 22 41 74 55
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 14 (1950 Masters – 1956 U.S. Open)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 4 (1951 U.S. Open – 1953 Masters)

U.S. national team appearances

Professional

See also

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References

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