Is Moore Tickled!
Sandhills Sprout U.S. Champ
Julius Boros is lop money winner among
American pros, but he hasn't been pro long
enough to join union.
By VALERIE NICIIOLSON
Accustomed as it is to producing
spectacular athletes. North Carolina
nevertheless was a bit stunned to wake
up last year and find that it had pro¬
duced the nation's golfing grand
champion. At year-end. sports writers
all over America were headlining the
achievements of Julius Boros as
"Sports Story of the Year."
The 32-ycar-old pro at the
Mid Pines Club, famed Southern
Pines resort hotel, accomplished
an unparalleled feat — the win¬
ning. first, of the U. S. Open at
Dallas last June, then of the
World Championship at Chicago
in August for the biggest purse
in the history of pro golf.
Boros had then been a pro only a
little more than three years. The Con¬
necticut-born son of Hungarian immi¬
grants, and a graduate of Bridgport
University, he had left a $7,000 ac¬
countant's job in West Hartford to join
the Mid Pines staff in 1949, working
at the resort hotel in the winters, fol¬
lowing the tournament circuit in the
summers and knocking off a modest
prize from time to time.
In 1951 his income from tourna¬
ments came to S4.697.97. In 1952.
the $4,000 won at Dallas and the
S25.000 first prize in the World
Championship, plus a few other odds
and ends, totaled a neat $37,000.
This made him the nation's top
money winner for 1952. It
brought him another encomium
— the title of "Professional
Golfer of the Year." with a din¬
ner and a plaque from the
all-powerful PGA. ruling organi¬
zation in pro golf. In the six years
since its establishment this title
had been held by only two men.
famed veterans both. Sam Snead
and Ben Hogan. The new winner
couldn’t even be a member of the
PGA. which requires a five
years' apprenticeship.
6
Murphy.)
Has all this made Boros light¬
headed? His friends say, "It couldn't
have happened to a nicer guy." He’s
pleased as a child at Christmas, a lit¬
tle incredulous — but not too sur¬
prised at that. When asked. "Did you
expect to win?” he answered. "Well
— I think anyone docs, who enters a
competitive event. You just plug along,
planning on winning — and some¬
times. you do!"
That "plugging away" explains a
lot. Sports writers speak of him as
"cold" and "relentless” during a heavy
match. He's far from cold — he just
has an inner toughness which, like his
200-pound, solid-muscled physical
toughness, just carries him on and on.
Nothing throws him — and if there's
a streak of prima donna in his make¬
up. it hasn’t showed yet. It is this,
more than anything else, which makes
observers believe he is slated for a long
and brilliant career.
The beautiful Mid Pines, set deep
in the longlcaf pines, with its own
emerald golf course coming right to
the edge of the rambling white build¬
ing. is one of the main points of pride
of Southern Pines. Also, the Sandhills
people love Mr. and Mrs. Frank E.
Cosgrove, its long-time managers, who
have made it a homelike and hos¬
pitable place. They enjoyed watching
the Cosgroves’ three charming daugh¬
ters grow up — Ann (Buttons),
Louise and Jean, good golfers all.
A big event of May 1950 at St. An¬
thony's Church was the double wed¬
ding of two of the sisters. Buttons and
Louise. Buttons married that big dark
fellow who had conic there as pro the
year before — Julius Nicholas Boros.
The first few months they traveled
about to several tournaments. Then,
in September 1951, from the Cos¬
groves' summer place at Green Har¬
bor. Mass., came news that shocked
and saddened the Sandhills towns —
Buttons, just 23. had given birth to a
son. and died.
When the Cosgroves re-opened the
Mid Pines that fall, there were smiles
through tears. Who could help smiling
at the new member of the family —
young Nicky, whom all of them were
helping to raise?
Julius plugged on at his golf. Some
thought they saw a new determination
in him.
When headlines erupted all
over, and Boros was suddenly fa¬
mous, Southern Pines went wild.
THE STATE. FCORUARY 7. 1953
