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Julius Boros

American professional golfer (1920–1994)


Summary

American professional golfer (1920–1994)

FieldValue
nameJulius Boros
imageJulius Boros Sports stars smoke camels (cropped).jpg
captionBoros in a 1949 ad
fullnameJulius Nicholas Boros
nicknameMoose
birth_date
birth_placeFairfield, Connecticut, U.S.
death_date
death_placeFort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S.
height6 ft 0 in
weight215 lb
sporting_nationality
children7, including Guy
collegeJunior College of Connecticut
yearpro1949
extourPGA Tour
prowins25
pgawins18
otherwins4 (regular)
3 (senior)
majorwins3
mastersT3: 1963
usopenWon: 1952, 1963
open15th: 1966
pgaWon: 1968
wghofidjulius-boros
wghofyear1982
award1PGA Tour
money list winner
year11952, 1955
award2PGA Player of the Year
year21952, 1963
awardssection
module{{Infobox personembed=yes
signatureJulius_Boros_signature.jpg

3 (senior) money list winner](pga-tour-money-list-winners) Julius Nicholas 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.

Early life and amateur career

Born in Fairfield, Connecticut, Boros was of Hungarian descent, and played varsity baseball in college. He then worked as an accountant while playing high-standard amateur golf.

Professional career

Boros turned professional in 1949 at age 29. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Professional wins (25)

PGA Tour wins (18)

Legend
Major championships (3)
Other PGA Tour (15)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreTo parMargin of
victoryRunner(s)-up
1Jun 14, 1952U.S. Open71-71-68-71=281+14 strokesUSA Ed Oliver
2Aug 11, 1952World Championship of Golf68-71-70-67=276−12PlayoffUSA Cary Middlecoff
3May 9, 1954Ardmore Open68-69-72-70=279−11 strokeUSA Jerry Barber
4Jul 18, 1954Carling Open71-70-68-71=280−8PlayoffUSA George Fazio
5Aug 14, 1955World Championship of Golf (2)70-72-69-70=281−72 strokesUS Fred Haas
6May 11, 1958Arlington Hotel Open70-64-68-71=273−151 strokeUSA Cary Middlecoff
7Nov 9, 1958Carling Open Invitational (2)74-66-70-74=284−42 strokesUSA Billy Casper
8Sep 14, 1959Dallas Open Invitational68-66-70-70=274−101 strokeUSA Dow Finsterwald, USA Earl Stewart,
USA Bo Wininger
9May 15, 1960Colonial National Invitation70-71-69-70=280E1 strokeUSA Gene Littler, AUS Kel Nagle
10May 12, 1963Colonial National Invitation (2)71-66-71-71=279−14 strokesZAF Gary Player
11Jun 9, 1963Buick Open Invitational66-71-68-69=274−145 strokesUSA Dow Finsterwald
12Jun 23, 1963U.S. Open (2)71-74-76-72=293+9PlayoffUSA Jacky Cupit, USA Arnold Palmer
13Apr 5, 1964Greater Greensboro Open68-70-73-66=277−7PlayoffUSA Doug Sanders
14Feb 12, 1967Phoenix Open Invitational69-67-69-67=272−121 strokeUSA Ken Still
15Mar 12, 1967Florida Citrus Open Invitational70-67-67-70=274−101 strokeCAN George Knudson, USA Arnold Palmer
16Jun 11, 1967Buick Open Invitational (2)72-72-70-69=283−53 strokesUSA Bob Goalby, USA R. H. Sikes,
USA Bert Yancey
17Jul 21, 1968PGA Championship71-71-70-69=281+11 strokeNZL Bob Charles, USA Arnold Palmer
18Aug 18, 1968Westchester Classic70-65-69-68=272−161 strokeUSA Bob Murphy, USA Jack Nicklaus,
USA Dan Sikes

PGA Tour playoff record (4–6)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
11952World Championship of GolfUSA Cary MiddlecoffWon 18-hole playoff;
Boros: −4 (68),
Middlecoff: −2 (70)
21954Miami Beach International Four-Ball
(with USA Dutch Harrison)USA Tommy Bolt and USA Dick MayerLost to birdie on first extra hole
31954Carling OpenUSA George FazioWon with par on first extra hole
41958Dallas Open InvitationalUSA John McMullin, ZAF Gary Player,
USA Sam SneadSnead won with birdie on first extra hole
51959Houston ClassicUSA Jack Burke Jr.Lost 18-hole playoff;
Burke: −8 (64),
Boros: −3 (69)
61963U.S. OpenUSA Jacky Cupit, USA Arnold PalmerWon 18-hole playoff;
Boros: −1 (70),
Cupit: + 2 (73),
Palmer: +5 (76)
71963Western OpenUSA Jack Nicklaus, USA Arnold PalmerPalmer won 18-hole playoff;
Palmer: −1 (70),
Boros: E (71),
Nicklaus: +2 (73)
81964Greater Greensboro OpenUSA Doug SandersWon with par on first extra hole
91969Greater Greensboro OpenUSA Gene Littler, USA Orville Moody,
USA Tom WeiskopfLittler won with birdie on fifth extra hole
Weiskopf eliminated by par on first hole
101975Westchester ClassicUSA Gene LittlerLost to par on first extra hole

Other wins (4)

This list may be incomplete

  • 1951 Massachusetts Open
  • 1956 Carolinas PGA Championship
  • 1964 Carolinas PGA Championship
  • 1979 South Florida PGA Championship

Senior wins (3)

  • 1971 PGA Seniors' Championship
  • 1977 PGA Seniors' Championship
  • 1979 Legends of Golf (with Roberto De Vicenzo)

Major championships

Wins (3)

YearChampionship54 holesWinning scoreMarginRunner(s)-up
1952U.S. Open2 shot lead+1 (71-71-68-71=281)4 strokesUSA Ed Oliver
1963U.S. Open (2)3 shot deficit+9 (71-74-76-72=293)Playoff1USA Jacky Cupit, USA Arnold Palmer
1968PGA Championship2 shot deficit+1 (71-71-70-69=281)1 strokeNZL Bob Charles, USA Arnold Palmer

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

Results timeline

Tournament1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
Masters TournamentT3517T7T10T16T4T24CUTT39T8
U.S. Open9T41T17T23T5T2T43T28
The Open Championship
PGA ChampionshipT5T44
Tournament1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
Masters Tournament5CUTT11T3CUTCUTT285T16T33
U.S. OpenT3CUT1CUTT4T17WDT16T13
The Open Championship15
PGA ChampionshipT24CUTT11T13T21T17T6T51T25
Tournament19701971197219731974197519761977197819791980
Masters TournamentT23CUTCUTCUTT26
U.S. OpenT12T42T29T7WDT38CUT
The Open Championship
PGA ChampionshipT26T34WDCUTT40CUTT58CUTCUTCUT

CUT = missed the half-way cut

WD = withdrew

"T" = tied

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts madeTotals3131622417455
Masters Tournament00147132518
U.S. Open212911172621
The Open Championship00000111
PGA Championship10034102215
  • 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

  • Ryder Cup: 1959 (winners), 1963 (winners), 1965 (winners), 1967 (winners)
  • World Cup: 1953, 1968
  • Hopkins Trophy: 1952 (winners), 1953 (winners)

References

References

  1. "Julius Boros – member bio". World Golf Hall of Fame.
  2. Dorman, Larry. (May 30, 1994). "Julius Boros, 74, a Pro Golfer Known for His Masterly Touch". The New York Times.
  3. Sidorsky, Robert. (2009). "Golf 365 Days: A History". Abrams.
  4. (August 25, 1996). "Revival wins World Series for Mickelson". Spokesman-Review.
Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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