100th PGA: Davis Love III's 1997 win vs. Julius Boros' 1968 win

In celebration of the 100th PGA Championship that takes place this year at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, we’ve unveiled the PGA 100 – a bracket-style competition to determine which year’s championship was the greatest in PGA Championship history. Over the course of six weeks, you can help us identify the greatest championship in the tournament’s history by voting once a day as the field is narrowed from 16 championships on July 8 to the single greatest championship on August 12.

You can vote and join the conversation here. In this matchup, the No. 6-seeded 1997 PGA Championship faces the No.-11 seeded 1968 PGA Championship.

No. 6 seed: 1997 PGA Championship

The 79th PGA Championship in 1997, contested at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y., didn’t leave any dry eyes.

Davis Love III had long enjoyed a spectacular PGA Tour career, but it was void of the one thing all great careers are measured by: a major.

That all changed at Winged Foot where the son of beloved PGA Professional – Davis Love Jr. – won in dominating fashion, taking the PGA by five strokes over runner-up and good friend, Justin Leonard. 

As great as Love’s golf game was at Winged Foot, it took a backseat to the scene that unfolded on the 18th hole as Love wrapped up his final round.

Most of the final round was played in a steady rain under gloomy skies. And really the only thing missing from Love’s determined stroll to that first major was his dad. Davis Love Jr., himself a remarkable player, who teed it up in all four majors, perished in a 1988 plane crash just as his son’s career was taking off.

What the younger Love was accomplishing – with brother Mark on the bag – would have made their father so proud.

Though his father wasn’t there physically, his spirit certainly was.

As Love approached the 18th green, the gloomy skies cleared, making the way for some sunshine and a beautiful rainbow. The rainbow is ever-present in the backdrop as Love finishes off his final putt.

It was a spinetingling moment.

No. 11 seed: 1968 PGA Championship

It’s well-documented that Jack Nicklaus is the oldest Masters champion, having won the tournament at age 46 in 1986.

But did you realize he isn’t the oldest major champion in history? That title belongs to Julius Boros, who was 48 years of age when he won the 1968 PGA Championship – the third of his three majors – at Pecan Valley Golf Club in San Antonio, Texas.

Boros finished one stroke ahead of runners-up Bob Charles and Arnold Palmer.

Boros entered the final round tied for third and two strokes behind 54-hole co-leaders Frank Beard and Marty Fleckman. 

Thanks to a final round of 1-under 69, Boros emerged as the champion.
 

[6] 1997 @Love3d

vs.

[11] 1968 Julius Boros

— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) August 6, 2018