Boros, Julius N.
Golf
b. March 3, 1920, Fairfield, CT
b. May 28, 1994
An accountant, Boros decided to take a fling at the PGA tour shortly before his thirtieth birthday, and he became one of the tour's most consistent players. During the next 11 years, he finished in the top 5 at the U. S. Open 6 times, and from 1950 through 1963 in was in the top 10 in 9 Opens, a record second only to Ben Hogan's since World War II.
Boros won the Open by 4 strokes in 1952 and surprised almost everyone, including himself, with another victory in 1963. He finished with a 293 and was emptying his locker, getting ready to go home, when the other final scores began to come in. High winds at The Country Club in Brookline, MA, were driving scores up and Boros learned he was in a three-way tie for the lead with Jackie Cupit and Arnold Palmer.
In the 18-hole playoff the following day, Boros shot a 33 on the front nine and won easily with a final 70 to Cupit's 73 and Palmer's 76. He became the oldest player ever to win a major tournament in 1968, when he took the PGA Championship.
Gifted with a smooth, perfectly rhythmic swing, Boros didn't hit the ball far but he was remarkably accurate. He rarely missed a fairway and his ability with iron shots made up for his lack of power. He never agonized over a shot or club selection; his style was to hit a shot, walk to the ball, pull a club from his bag, and hit his next shot.