How PGA Champion Julius Boros Inspired His Granddaughter to Love the Game

Jess Wolf grew up in a energy-filled house next to the ninth green of Coral Ridge Country Club in Fort Lauderdale. It was a joyous setting for a kid: cousins, brothers, aunts and uncles all together; green space to run around; and the spot where she learned to love the game.

Her grandmother Armen was the heart and soul of the family, but it was likely her grandfather, 1968 PGA Champion Julius Boros, that passed on a passion for golf to Wolf, who's an Assistant Professional at Coral Ridge and on the verge of becoming a PGA of America Member.

While Wolf never met her grandfather - Boros died of a heart attack in 1994 and was found on the 16th hole under a willow tree, his favorite spot at Coral Ridge - it's easy to see what kind of impact he left on his family.

"A few weeks ago, a long-time member came up to me and said he was actually one of the people who found my grandpa on 16," says Wolf. "You could tell how much he meant to this place. it reminds me of why I'm here and what an honor it is to walk the same fairways as my grandfather did. It's one of those things you don't take for granted."

Boros, who also won the U.S. Open twice (1952, '63) and played on four winning U.S. Ryder Cup Teams, was known for his effortless swing and impeccable short game, two assets he used to beat both Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer in his U.S. Open wins. Boros was also the oldest Major Champion for decades, winning the 1968 PGA Championship at Pecan Valley in San Antonio at age 48; a record that stood until Phil Mickelson's 2021 victory at age 50.

While Wolf doesn't have her eyes set on winning majors just yet, she has the same sort of easy-going nature and respect for the game that her grandfather did. She's heard so many stories about him from family, Coral Ridge members and more people who came to appreciate the way Boros approached golf that there's some inherent motivation to do it the same way: with passion.

"I'm still pretty young and trying to figure out things, but if I can make a fraction of the impact my grandfather did on the game, I know I'll have done something right," says Wolf. "I drive by No. 9 now and remember all those times at the house with family. It brings me full circle with some purpose, and that's to give back to the game that's given my family so much."

For Wolf, Coral Ridge is where everything is rooted and, today, it's where everything is blossoming. She's a couple videos and work experience activities away from having a ", PGA" after her name as a PGA Member. She gets to work alongside her siblings and cousins at the course, maybe bossing them around from time to time since they work outside operations but having a lot of fun, too.

But perhaps best of all? Wolf is finding out just how much she loves the game and how it can change your life for the better . . . much like an easy-swinging, fast-playing PGA Champion did all those years ago.

"He's why I love this game," says Wolf. "And for that, I'm forever thankful."