1968 PGA Championship

1968 PGA Championship
Tournament information
DatesJuly 18–21, 1968
LocationSan Antonio, Texas
Course(s)Pecan Valley Golf Club
Organized byPGA of America
Tour(s)PGA Tour
Statistics
Par70
Length7,096 yards (6,489 m)
Field165 players, 75 after cut[1]
Cut149 (+9)
Prize fund$150,000[1]
Winner's share$25,000
Champion
United States Julius Boros
281 (+1)
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San Antonio is located in the United States
San Antonio
San Antonio
San Antonio is located in Texas
San Antonio
San Antonio

The 1968 PGA Championship was the 50th PGA Championship played July 18–21 at Pecan Valley Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas. Julius Boros, age 48, won the third of his three major titles, one stroke ahead of runners-up Bob Charles and Arnold Palmer.[2] Boros was the oldest winner of a major championship for over a half century, until Phil Mickelson won in the PGA Championship in 2021 at age fifty. The tournament was played in very hot conditions.[2] Palmer had an 8-foot (2.4 m) putt to tie on the 72nd green, but it missed on the high side of the hole.[3][4] It was the second of his three runner-up finishes at the only major he never won; he also tied for second in 1964 and 1970.

This was the final major before the formation of the Tournament Players Division, later renamed the PGA Tour. The tour pros broke away from the PGA of America in August and formed an independent tour, the American Professional Golfers, Inc. (APG).[5][6][7][8] A compromise was reached in December which brought the tournament players back to the PGA in a separate division with its own policy board and commissioner.[9][10][11]

In his seventh PGA Championship, Jack Nicklaus missed his first cut in the event by a stroke; five of his six previous finishes were in the top three, with a victory in 1963 in Dallas. He made the next nine cuts at the PGA Championship and won four more times (1971, 1973, 1975, 1980).

This PGA Championship was played immediately after the Open Championship in Scotland, the fifth time during the 1960s which the final two majors were played in consecutive weeks. This PGA Championship was also the last held in July (until 2016); it moved to August in 1969 (except 1971 when it was played in February in Florida).

  1. ^ a b "Tournament Info for: 1968 PGA Championship". PGA of America. Archived from the original on August 15, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Jenkins, Dan (July 29, 1968). "The Junkman cools it". Sports Illustrated. p. 12.
  3. ^ "Boros wins PGA; Palmer ties for 2nd". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. July 22, 1968. p. 20.
  4. ^ "Boros oldest victor in PGA meet". Milwaukee Journal. July 22, 1968. p. 10.
  5. ^ "Touring pros studying break". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. July 23, 1968. p. 12. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  6. ^ "Rebel Golfers Number 205". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. Associated Press. August 20, 1968. p. 3B.
  7. ^ "Touring golf pros set up own shop". Milwaukee Journal. August 20, 1968. p. 11.
  8. ^ Mulvoy, Mark (September 2, 1968). "The revolt of the touring pros". Sports Illustrated: 20.
  9. ^ Awtrey, Stan (February 11, 2009). "Professionals' split was a good thing for the game". PGA Tour. Retrieved January 2, 2013.
  10. ^ "Tour golfers, PGA settle fuss over tourney control". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. December 14, 1968. p. 15.
  11. ^ "Pro golf struggle is settled; PGA forms tourney group". Milwaukee Journal. December 14, 1968. p. 18.