Julius Boros


Julius Nicholas Boros 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 years

Born in Fairfield, Connecticut, Boros was of Hungarian descent. He played varsity baseball in college. He worked as an accountant, played high-standard amateur golf, and did not turn professional until 1949, when he was already 29 years old.

Professional career

Boros 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. Boros remains the oldest player ever to win a modern major in 1968, taking the PGA Championship in San Antonio by a stroke at the age of 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 Jerry Barber, age 45 in the 1961 PGA Championship. 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.
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 catch phrase "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.

Family

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.

Death

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. He was survived by his wife Armen, sons Julius Jr., Gary, Guy, and Nick, daughters Joy, Gay, and Jody, and five grandchildren.

Professional wins (25)

PGA Tour wins (18)

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

PGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11952World Championship of Golf Cary MiddlecoffWon 18-hole playoff;
Boros: −4,
Middlecoff: −2
21954Carling Open George FazioWon with par on first extra hole
31958Dallas Open John McMullin, Gary Player,
Sam Snead		Snead won with birdie on first extra hole
41959Houston Classic Jack Burke Jr.Lost 18-hole playoff;
Burke: −8,
Boros: −3
51963U.S. Open Jacky Cupit, Arnold PalmerWon 18-hole playoff;
Boros: −1,
Cupit: + 2,
Palmer: +5
61963Western Open Jack Nicklaus, Arnold PalmerPalmer won 18-hole playoff;
Palmer: −1,
Boros: E,
Nicklaus: +2
71964Greater Greensboro Open Doug SandersWon with par on first extra hole
81969Greater Greensboro Open Gene Littler, Orville Moody,
Tom Weiskopf		Littler won with birdie on fifth extra hole
Weiskopf eliminated with par on first hole
91975Westchester Classic Gene LittlerLost to par on first extra hole

Other wins (4)

This list may be incomplete

Wins (3)

1Defeated Jacky Cupit and Arnold Palmer in an 18-hole playoff - Boros 70, Cupit 73, Palmer 76.

Results timeline

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

Summary

Professional