Bobby Jones is born
On March 17 1902 Robert Tyre Jones Jr.is born in Atlanta Georgia.Jones the first great American golfer was a hero of the so-called Golden Age of Sports in America along with baseball player Babe Ruth boxer Jack Dempsey tennis player Bill Tilden and football player Red Grange.Bobby Jones had the picture-perfect swing of every golfers dreams despite never having taken a lesson.
He modeled his swing after that of Stewart Maiden a Scottish golfer who was the golf professional at the Atlanta Club.Jones would watch Maiden play then run home and copy his swing to the best of his ability.It worked Jones was said to have shot a 70 for 18 holes by the age of 12.
At 14 he won his first of five U.S.Amateur Championships at the Merion Cricket Club in Ardmore Pennsylvania where 14 years later he would win the Grand Slam his greatest triumph.Jones 1930 Grand Slamwinning the U.S.Open British Open U.S.
Amateur and British Amateur in the same yearwas the first in golf history.The four events took place over a five-month period with the U.S.Amateur coming last.
In the U.S.Amateur final Jones defeated Gene Homans in head-to-head matchplay format.On the final hole Jones landed a long putt at the edge of the cup with his famous rusty putter Calamity Jane.
Homans rushed his final putt and walked toward Jones to shake his hand acknowledging defeat.Understanding the significance of the historic moment the crowd of 18000 that was surrounding the green and standing in the fairway rushed toward Jonesit took a squadron of Marines to lead Jones and Homas to safety.Jones retired from golf at the age of 29 shortly after winning the Grand Slam.In 1934 he founded the Augusta National Golf Club and that same year was among the founders of a new tournament called The Masters.
As amateur play became less common the Masters replaced the U.S.Amateur in the Grand Slam.Today a Grand Slam consists of winning the Masters the U.S.
Open the British Open and the PGA Championship.Unlike the wealthy golf superstars of today Jones never turned professional.In fact he did not earn any money from golf until he began making golf films after his retirement.Over the course of his career Bobby Jones won four U.S.
Opens five U.S.Amateurs three British Opens and one British Amateur.His total of 15 major tournaments wasnt surpassed until Jack Nicklaus won his 16th major in 1980.
