Encyclopedia, Difference between revisions of "Bobby Jones" - New World

From New World Encyclopedia
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[[Image:BobbyJonesAge14.jpg|thumb|100px|Jones at age 14, in the 1916 US Amateur]]
 
[[Image:BobbyJonesAge14.jpg|thumb|100px|Jones at age 14, in the 1916 US Amateur]]
  
'''Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr.''' ([[March 17]], [[1902]] – [[December 18]], [[1971]]), born in [[Atlanta, Georgia]], was one of the greatest [[golf]]ers to compete on a national and international level. He participated only as an amateur, primarily on a part-time basis, and chose to retire from competition at age 28.
+
==Early Life==
 +
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr., was born on St. Patrick's day, (March 17, 1902) in [[Atlanta, Georgia]] as the only son to prominent Atlanta lawyer, colonel Robert P. Jones. His father himself was an amazing athlete, being drafted by the Brooklyn Superbras (now known as the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]]), baseball team. While growing up, Bobby was constantly sick, and could not digest food until the age of five.  In a attempt to help Bobby add weight to his frame, the family decided to move to a summer home next to the fairways of Atlanta's East Lake Country Club. It was hear that the young Jones began to grow stronger and play sports, particuarly baseball and golf. At the age of six Jones started golf clubs, when one of his nearby neighbors gave him a one-iron to practice a swing. Not a year later, Jones was mimicking the swing of Stewart Maiden, the Scottish East Lake professional. "He was never lonesome with a golf club in his hands, he must have been born with a deep love for the game. He was certainly born with the soul of perfectionist,"<ref>http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Jones_Bobby.html</ref>said the country club pro. At the age of 11, Jones shot an 80 on the old course at East Lake, bringing his father to tears. One year later, Jones shot a 70, and won two championshps at the club.
  
Jones was a child prodigy who won his first children's tournament at the age of six and made the third round of the [[U.S. Amateur Championship]] at 14.
+
==Golf Career==
  
Jones graduated from [[Georgia Tech]] in mechanical engineering in 1922. Jones added an A.B. in English from [[Harvard]] in 1924.  
+
===First years as a pro===
 +
At the age of 14, Jones entered his first major tourament, the U.S Amateur. Jones already was considered a player with outstanding potential, and was considered by most, destined for greatness in the game.  After winning two matches, Bobby was eliminated from the tourament. With the large amount of national press, and expectations put on the Amateur, Jones struggled in his early years: "Bobby was a short, rotund kid, with the face of an angel, and the temper of a timber  wolf, at a missed shot his sunny smile coudl turn more suddenly into a black storm cloud  than the Nazis grab a country. Even at the age of 14 Bobby could not understand how anyone coudl ever miss any kind of golf shot."<ref>http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Jones_Bobby.html</ref>
  
As an adult, he hit his stride in 1923, when he won his first [[U.S. Open (golf)|U.S. Open]]. From that win at New York's Inwood Country Club, through his 1930 victory in the U.S. Amateur he won 13 [[Major Championships]] (as they were counted at the time) in 20 attempts, ranking him behind only [[Jack Nicklaus]]' 20 wins and [[Tiger Woods]]' 15 wins (including their U.S. Amateur championships). Jones was the first player to win The Double, both the U.S. Open and the [[The Open Championship|British Open]] in the same year (1926). He is still the only player ever to have won the [[Grand Slam (golf)|Grand Slam]], or all four major championships, in the same year. He represented the [[United States]] in the [[Walker Cup]] five times, winning nine of his 10 matches. He also won two other tournaments against professionals: the 1927 Southern Open and the 1930 Southeastern Open. Jones was a life-long member of the [[Atlanta Athletic Club]] and the [[Capital City Club]] in Atlanta.
+
===Early Struggles===
 +
For the next seven years of his professional career, Jones continued to struggle with his short fuse, and extremely high expectations. Jones and many followers of his amazing career, claimed his low point as the 1921 British Open. At the 11th green, Jones committed one of the biggest sins in golf, by picking up after a day in which he had already played over 50 shots. Jones later claimed "It wa the most ingloriosu failure of my golfing life."<ref>http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Jones_Bobby.html</ref>
  
Jones is considered one of the five giants of the [[1920s]] American sports scene, along with [[baseball]]'s [[Babe Ruth]], [[boxing]]'s [[Jack Dempsey]], [[American football]]'s [[Red Grange]], and [[tennis]] player [[Bill Tilden]]. He was the first recipient of the [[Amateur Athletic Union]]'s [[James E. Sullivan Award]] as the top amateur athlete in the United States. He was the first person ever to receive two [[ticker-tape parade]]s in [[New York City]], the first in 1926 and the second in 1930. Astronaut [[John Glenn]] was the only other person so honored. Jones is memoralized in [[Augusta, Georgia]] at the Golf Gardens and has the Bobby Jones Expressway, also known as [[Interstate 520]], named for him.
+
===1923 U.S Open===
 +
After overcoming his temper, Jones brokethrough at the 1923 [[U.S Open]] at Inwood Country Club in New York to win his first major. Jones looked like he had the championship going into the 16th holde, but a boegy, bogey, double-bogey finish, left the door open for [[Bobby Cruickshank]] to tie him. The poor finish by Jones led to a 18-hole playoff, which Jones conquered after clutch strategy on the last hole. With 190 yards to go, and in a poor lie, Jones decided to hit his two-iron over the water, and landed it eight feet from the pin. The shot is considered by some as the most distinguished in his career. That shot started the momemtum for Jones to start the best run in the history of the game of Golf.
  
==Sportsmanship==
+
===Eight-Year Run===
Jones was not only a consummately skilled golfer, but he also exemplified the principles of [[sportsmanship]] and fair play. In the beginning of his amateur career, he was in the final playoff of the U.S. Open. During the match, his ball ended up in the rough just off the fairway, and as he was setting up to play his shot his iron caused a slight movement of the ball. He immediately got angry with himself, turned to the marshals, and called a penalty on himself. The marshals discussed among themselves and questioned some of the gallery if anyone had seen Jones' ball move. Their decision was that neither they nor anyone else had witnessed any incident, so the decision was left to Jones. Bobby Jones called the two-stroke penalty on himself, not knowing that he would lose the tournament by one stroke. When he was praised for his gesture, Jones replied, "You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank." The [[United States Golf Association]]'s sportsmanship award is named the [[Bob Jones Award]] in his honor.
+
After the his first [[U.S Open]] win in 1923, Bobby Jones began his eight-year run when he won six more majors: The [[U.S Open]], three times, in 1926, 1929, and 1930, and the [[PGA Championship]], three times, in 1926, 1927, and 1930. Shortly after his final win, Jones retired from competitive golf in 1930, with plans to construct a state-of-the-art golf course. Through his 1930 victory in the U.S. Amateur he won 13 [[Major Championships]] (as they were counted at the time) in 20 attempts, ranking him behind only [[Jack Nicklaus]]' 20 wins and [[Tiger Woods]]' 15 wins (including their U.S. Amateur championships). Jones was the first player to win The Double, both the U.S. Open and the [[The Open Championship|British Open]] in the same year (1926). He is still the only player ever to have won the [[Grand Slam (golf)|Grand Slam]], or all four major championships, in the same year. He represented the [[United States]] in the [[Walker Cup]] five times, winning nine of his 10 matches. He also won two other tournaments against professionals: the 1927 Southern Open and the 1930 Southeastern Open. Jones was a life-long member of the [[Atlanta Athletic Club]] and the [[Capital City Club]] in Atlanta.
  
 
==St Andrews, Scotland==
 
==St Andrews, Scotland==
 
Jones had a unique relationship with the town of [[St Andrews]], [[Scotland]]. On his first appearance on the [[Old Course at St Andrews|Old Course]] in [[The Open Championship]] of 1921, he withdrew after 11 holes in the third round. He firmly stated his dislike for the Old Course and the town reciprocated, saying in the press, "Master Bobby is just a boy, and an ordinary boy at that."  He came to love the Old Course and the town like few others.  When he won the Open at the Old Course in 1927, he wowed the crowd by asking that the trophy remain with his friends at the [[The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews|Royal and Ancient Golf Club]] rather than return with him to Atlanta.  In 1958, he was named a [[Freedom of the City|Freeman of the City]] of St Andrews, becoming only the second American to be so honored, the other being [[Benjamin Franklin]] in 1759. Today, a scholarship exchange bearing the Jones name exists between the [[University of St Andrews]] and both [[Emory University]] and the [[Georgia Institute of Technology]] in Atlanta. A similar exchange exists in [[Canada]] between St. Andrew's University and the [[University of Western Ontario]] and [[Queen's University]]; the associated foundation is under the patronage of [[Prince Andrew, Duke of York]] as a member of the [[Monarchy in Canada#Canadian Royal Family|Canadian Royal Family]].
 
Jones had a unique relationship with the town of [[St Andrews]], [[Scotland]]. On his first appearance on the [[Old Course at St Andrews|Old Course]] in [[The Open Championship]] of 1921, he withdrew after 11 holes in the third round. He firmly stated his dislike for the Old Course and the town reciprocated, saying in the press, "Master Bobby is just a boy, and an ordinary boy at that."  He came to love the Old Course and the town like few others.  When he won the Open at the Old Course in 1927, he wowed the crowd by asking that the trophy remain with his friends at the [[The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews|Royal and Ancient Golf Club]] rather than return with him to Atlanta.  In 1958, he was named a [[Freedom of the City|Freeman of the City]] of St Andrews, becoming only the second American to be so honored, the other being [[Benjamin Franklin]] in 1759. Today, a scholarship exchange bearing the Jones name exists between the [[University of St Andrews]] and both [[Emory University]] and the [[Georgia Institute of Technology]] in Atlanta. A similar exchange exists in [[Canada]] between St. Andrew's University and the [[University of Western Ontario]] and [[Queen's University]]; the associated foundation is under the patronage of [[Prince Andrew, Duke of York]] as a member of the [[Monarchy in Canada#Canadian Royal Family|Canadian Royal Family]].
  
[[Image:BobbyJones-grave.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Jones's grave in Oakland Cemetery]]
+
==College==
 +
While Bobby Jones will be most known for his outstanding career on the golf course, he establishe himself off of it as well. In 1920, Jones graduated from [[Georgia Tech University]], with a degree in mechanical engineering. The dean of the school recalls him as "a real gentleman in every respect: modest, unassuming, never mentioning his golf game."<ref>http://www.bobbyjones.com/biography_scholarship.html</ref> At the age of 21, Jones attended [[Harvard College]], and earned a English degree in only three semesters of work. While at the university, Jones was not permitted to play on the golf team due to his membership with the golf team at [[Georgia Tech University]], during his tenure there.  While at Harvard, Jones decided to seek the position of the team manager, so he could get a crimson-Harvard letter, but due to the position being filled, he reluctantly decided to take the assisstant position. During the year helping the team, Jones beat all six of Harvard's top golfers in an informal match. He later became a member of Harvard's Varsity Hall-of-Fame, although never competing for the university offically.
  
==Later life==<!-- This section is linked from [[Syringomyelia]] —>
+
==Life after Golf==
Jones was successful outside of golf as well. He earned his [[Bachelor of Science]] in [[Mechanical Engineering]] from [[Georgia Institute of Technology]] where he was a member of the [[Sigma Alpha Epsilon]] fraternity and a [[Bachelor of Arts]] in English Literature from [[Harvard University]]. After only one year in law school at [[Emory University]], he passed the [[bar exam]].  
+
After retiring from the game, Jones married Mary Rice Malone in 1924, and had three children, Clara, Robert Tyre III, and Mary Ellen. He also kept himself busy by making eighteen instructional films and also worked with [[Albert Spalding|A.G. Spalding & Co.]] to develop the first set of matched clubs. He also is known for co-designing the [[Augusta National Golf Club|Augusta National]] course with [[Alister MacKenzie]] and for being one of the founders of [[The Masters Tournament]], first played at Augusta in 1934. During [[World War II]], while he was serving as an officer in the [[U.S. Army Air Forces]], Jones permitted the [[U.S. Army]] to graze cattle on the grounds at Augusta National. Later, in 1945, he founded Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta and co-designed the course with Robert Trent Jones.
  
Jones was married in 1924 to the former Mary Rice Malone. They had three children, Clara, Robert Tyre III, and Mary Ellen.
+
In 1948, Jones was diagnosed with [[syringomyelia]], a fluid-filled cavity in his spinal cord which caused first pain, then paralysis. He was eventually restricted to a wheelchair. He died in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1971 and is buried in Atlanta's historic [[Oakland Cemetery]]. He became a member of the [[World Golf Hall of Fame]] in 1974.
  
When he retired from golf at age 28, he concentrated on his Atlanta law practice.  In addition, he made eighteen instructional films, worked with [[Albert Spalding|A.G. Spalding & Co.]] to develop the first set of matched clubs, co-designed the [[Augusta National Golf Club|Augusta National]] course with [[Alister MacKenzie]] and was one of the founders of [[The Masters Tournament]], first played at Augusta in 1934. During [[World War II]], while he was serving as an officer in the [[U.S. Army Air Forces]], Jones permitted the [[U.S. Army]] to graze cattle on the grounds at Augusta National. Later, in 1945, he founded Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta and co-designed the course with Robert Trent Jones.
+
==Legacy==
 +
Jones is considered one of the five giants of the [[1920s]] American sports scene, along with [[baseball]]'s [[Babe Ruth]], [[boxing]]'s [[Jack Dempsey]], [[American football]]'s [[Red Grange]], and [[tennis]] player [[Bill Tilden]].  He was the first recipient of the [[Amateur Athletic Union]]'s [[James E. Sullivan Award]] as the top amateur athlete in the United States. He was the first person ever to receive two [[ticker-tape parade]]s in [[New York City]], the first in 1926 and the second in 1930. Astronaut [[John Glenn]] was the only other person so honored. Jones is memoralized in [[Augusta, Georgia]] at the Golf Gardens and has the Bobby Jones Expressway, also known as [[Interstate 520]], named for him. Jones will not only be remembered for being a consummately skilled golfer, but also for exemplifying the principles of [[sportsmanship]] and fair play. In the beginning of his amateur career, he was in the final playoff of the U.S. Open. During the match, his ball ended up in the rough just off the fairway, and as he was setting up to play his shot his iron caused a slight movement of the ball. He immediately got angry with himself, turned to the marshals, and called a penalty on himself. The marshals discussed among themselves and questioned some of the gallery if anyone had seen Jones' ball move. Their decision was that neither they nor anyone else had witnessed any incident, so the decision was left to Jones. Bobby Jones called the two-stroke penalty on himself, not knowing that he would lose the tournament by one stroke. When he was praised for his gesture, Jones replied, "You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank." The [[United States Golf Association]]'s sportsmanship award is named the [[Bob Jones Award]] in his honor. Jones also showed determination of the course for working hard at his education, being a good father, serving his country as a [[U.S Army Air Forces]] officer, and showing amazing dedication in his career after golf.
  
In 1948, Jones was diagnosed with [[syringomyelia]], a fluid-filled cavity in his spinal cord which caused first pain, then paralysis. He was eventually restricted to a wheelchair. He died in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1971 and is buried in Atlanta's historic [[Oakland Cemetery]]. He became a member of the [[World Golf Hall of Fame]] in 1974.
+
[[Image:BobbyJones-grave.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Jones's grave in Oakland Cemetery]]
  
 
==Major championships==
 
==Major championships==
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*[[Golfers with most major championship wins]]
 
*[[Golfers with most major championship wins]]
  
==External links==
+
==External links and Notes==
 
*[http://www.bobbyjones.com/ bobbyjones.com]
 
*[http://www.bobbyjones.com/ bobbyjones.com]
 
*[http://www.wgv.com/hof/member.php?member=1070 World Golf Hall of Fame Profile]
 
*[http://www.wgv.com/hof/member.php?member=1070 World Golf Hall of Fame Profile]
Line 90: Line 96:
 
*[http://www.golflegends.org/bobby-jones.php Bobby Jones] Profile at Golf Legends
 
*[http://www.golflegends.org/bobby-jones.php Bobby Jones] Profile at Golf Legends
 
*[http://www.gshf.org/ Georgia Sports Hall of Fame]
 
*[http://www.gshf.org/ Georgia Sports Hall of Fame]
 +
*[http://espn.go.com/classic/biography/s/Jones_Bobby.html]
 +
*[http://bobbyjones.com/biography.html]
  
 
{{Persondata
 
{{Persondata
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|PLACE OF DEATH=[[Atlanta, Georgia]]
 
|PLACE OF DEATH=[[Atlanta, Georgia]]
 
}}
 
}}
 +
  
 
{{U.S. Open champions}}
 
{{U.S. Open champions}}
 
{{The Open champions}}
 
{{The Open champions}}
 +
 +
==Book References==
 +
*Rapoport, R.  2005.  "The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf". Wiley Publishing. ISBN 0471473723 ISBN 978-0471473725
  
 
[[category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 
[[category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 
{{credits|Bobby_Jones|142086739}}
 
{{credits|Bobby_Jones|142086739}}

Revision as of 05:50, 9 July 2007

File:Stamp-ctc-bjones.jpg
Bobby Jones won the first Grand Slam of golf in 1930.
Jones at age 14, in the 1916 US Amateur

Early Life

Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr., was born on St. Patrick's day, (March 17, 1902) in Atlanta, Georgia as the only son to prominent Atlanta lawyer, colonel Robert P. Jones. His father himself was an amazing athlete, being drafted by the Brooklyn Superbras (now known as the Brooklyn Dodgers), baseball team. While growing up, Bobby was constantly sick, and could not digest food until the age of five. In a attempt to help Bobby add weight to his frame, the family decided to move to a summer home next to the fairways of Atlanta's East Lake Country Club. It was hear that the young Jones began to grow stronger and play sports, particuarly baseball and golf. At the age of six Jones started golf clubs, when one of his nearby neighbors gave him a one-iron to practice a swing. Not a year later, Jones was mimicking the swing of Stewart Maiden, the Scottish East Lake professional. "He was never lonesome with a golf club in his hands, he must have been born with a deep love for the game. He was certainly born with the soul of perfectionist,"[1]said the country club pro. At the age of 11, Jones shot an 80 on the old course at East Lake, bringing his father to tears. One year later, Jones shot a 70, and won two championshps at the club.

Golf Career

First years as a pro

At the age of 14, Jones entered his first major tourament, the U.S Amateur. Jones already was considered a player with outstanding potential, and was considered by most, destined for greatness in the game. After winning two matches, Bobby was eliminated from the tourament. With the large amount of national press, and expectations put on the Amateur, Jones struggled in his early years: "Bobby was a short, rotund kid, with the face of an angel, and the temper of a timber wolf, at a missed shot his sunny smile coudl turn more suddenly into a black storm cloud than the Nazis grab a country. Even at the age of 14 Bobby could not understand how anyone coudl ever miss any kind of golf shot."[2]

Early Struggles

For the next seven years of his professional career, Jones continued to struggle with his short fuse, and extremely high expectations. Jones and many followers of his amazing career, claimed his low point as the 1921 British Open. At the 11th green, Jones committed one of the biggest sins in golf, by picking up after a day in which he had already played over 50 shots. Jones later claimed "It wa the most ingloriosu failure of my golfing life."[3]

1923 U.S Open

After overcoming his temper, Jones brokethrough at the 1923 U.S Open at Inwood Country Club in New York to win his first major. Jones looked like he had the championship going into the 16th holde, but a boegy, bogey, double-bogey finish, left the door open for Bobby Cruickshank to tie him. The poor finish by Jones led to a 18-hole playoff, which Jones conquered after clutch strategy on the last hole. With 190 yards to go, and in a poor lie, Jones decided to hit his two-iron over the water, and landed it eight feet from the pin. The shot is considered by some as the most distinguished in his career. That shot started the momemtum for Jones to start the best run in the history of the game of Golf.

Eight-Year Run

After the his first U.S Open win in 1923, Bobby Jones began his eight-year run when he won six more majors: The U.S Open, three times, in 1926, 1929, and 1930, and the PGA Championship, three times, in 1926, 1927, and 1930. Shortly after his final win, Jones retired from competitive golf in 1930, with plans to construct a state-of-the-art golf course. Through his 1930 victory in the U.S. Amateur he won 13 Major Championships (as they were counted at the time) in 20 attempts, ranking him behind only Jack Nicklaus' 20 wins and Tiger Woods' 15 wins (including their U.S. Amateur championships). Jones was the first player to win The Double, both the U.S. Open and the British Open in the same year (1926). He is still the only player ever to have won the Grand Slam, or all four major championships, in the same year. He represented the United States in the Walker Cup five times, winning nine of his 10 matches. He also won two other tournaments against professionals: the 1927 Southern Open and the 1930 Southeastern Open. Jones was a life-long member of the Atlanta Athletic Club and the Capital City Club in Atlanta.

St Andrews, Scotland

Jones had a unique relationship with the town of St Andrews, Scotland. On his first appearance on the Old Course in The Open Championship of 1921, he withdrew after 11 holes in the third round. He firmly stated his dislike for the Old Course and the town reciprocated, saying in the press, "Master Bobby is just a boy, and an ordinary boy at that." He came to love the Old Course and the town like few others. When he won the Open at the Old Course in 1927, he wowed the crowd by asking that the trophy remain with his friends at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club rather than return with him to Atlanta. In 1958, he was named a Freeman of the City of St Andrews, becoming only the second American to be so honored, the other being Benjamin Franklin in 1759. Today, a scholarship exchange bearing the Jones name exists between the University of St Andrews and both Emory University and the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. A similar exchange exists in Canada between St. Andrew's University and the University of Western Ontario and Queen's University; the associated foundation is under the patronage of Prince Andrew, Duke of York as a member of the Canadian Royal Family.

College

While Bobby Jones will be most known for his outstanding career on the golf course, he establishe himself off of it as well. In 1920, Jones graduated from Georgia Tech University, with a degree in mechanical engineering. The dean of the school recalls him as "a real gentleman in every respect: modest, unassuming, never mentioning his golf game."[4] At the age of 21, Jones attended Harvard College, and earned a English degree in only three semesters of work. While at the university, Jones was not permitted to play on the golf team due to his membership with the golf team at Georgia Tech University, during his tenure there. While at Harvard, Jones decided to seek the position of the team manager, so he could get a crimson-Harvard letter, but due to the position being filled, he reluctantly decided to take the assisstant position. During the year helping the team, Jones beat all six of Harvard's top golfers in an informal match. He later became a member of Harvard's Varsity Hall-of-Fame, although never competing for the university offically.

Life after Golf

After retiring from the game, Jones married Mary Rice Malone in 1924, and had three children, Clara, Robert Tyre III, and Mary Ellen. He also kept himself busy by making eighteen instructional films and also worked with A.G. Spalding & Co. to develop the first set of matched clubs. He also is known for co-designing the Augusta National course with Alister MacKenzie and for being one of the founders of The Masters Tournament, first played at Augusta in 1934. During World War II, while he was serving as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces, Jones permitted the U.S. Army to graze cattle on the grounds at Augusta National. Later, in 1945, he founded Peachtree Golf Club in Atlanta and co-designed the course with Robert Trent Jones.

In 1948, Jones was diagnosed with syringomyelia, a fluid-filled cavity in his spinal cord which caused first pain, then paralysis. He was eventually restricted to a wheelchair. He died in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1971 and is buried in Atlanta's historic Oakland Cemetery. He became a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

Legacy

Jones is considered one of the five giants of the 1920s American sports scene, along with baseball's Babe Ruth, boxing's Jack Dempsey, American football's Red Grange, and tennis player Bill Tilden. He was the first recipient of the Amateur Athletic Union's James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States. He was the first person ever to receive two ticker-tape parades in New York City, the first in 1926 and the second in 1930. Astronaut John Glenn was the only other person so honored. Jones is memoralized in Augusta, Georgia at the Golf Gardens and has the Bobby Jones Expressway, also known as Interstate 520, named for him. Jones will not only be remembered for being a consummately skilled golfer, but also for exemplifying the principles of sportsmanship and fair play. In the beginning of his amateur career, he was in the final playoff of the U.S. Open. During the match, his ball ended up in the rough just off the fairway, and as he was setting up to play his shot his iron caused a slight movement of the ball. He immediately got angry with himself, turned to the marshals, and called a penalty on himself. The marshals discussed among themselves and questioned some of the gallery if anyone had seen Jones' ball move. Their decision was that neither they nor anyone else had witnessed any incident, so the decision was left to Jones. Bobby Jones called the two-stroke penalty on himself, not knowing that he would lose the tournament by one stroke. When he was praised for his gesture, Jones replied, "You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank." The United States Golf Association's sportsmanship award is named the Bob Jones Award in his honor. Jones also showed determination of the course for working hard at his education, being a good father, serving his country as a U.S Army Air Forces officer, and showing amazing dedication in his career after golf.

Jones's grave in Oakland Cemetery

Major championships

Wins (7)

Year Championship 54 Holes Winning Score Margin Runners Up
1923 U.S. Open 3 shot lead +8 (71-73-76-76=296) Playoff 1 Flag of Scotland Bobby Cruickshank
1926 U.S. Open (2) 3 shot deficit +5 (70-79-71-73=293) 1 stroke Flag of United States Joe Turnesa
1926 The Open Championship -2 (291) 2 strokes Flag of United States Al Watrous
1927 The Open Championship (2) -6 (69-72-72-72=285) 6 strokes Flag of England Aubrey Boomer
1929 U.S. Open (3) 3 shot lead +6 (69-75-71-79=294) Playoff 2 Flag of United States Al Espinosa
1930 U.S. Open (4) 5 shot lead -1 (71-73-68-75=287) 2 strokes Flag of Scotland Macdonald Smith
1930 The Open Championship (3) 1 shot deficit -2 (70-72-74-75=291) 2 strokes Flag of United States Leo Diegel, Flag of Scotland Macdonald Smith

1 Defeated Bobby Cruickshank in 18-hole playoff: Jones (76), Cruickshank (78)
2 Defeated Al Espinosa in 36-hole playoff: Jones (72-69=141), Espinosa (84-80=164)

Amateur majors:

  • U.S. Amateur: 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930
  • British Amateur: 1930

Films

Jones appeared in a series of short instructional films produced by Warner Brothers in 1931 titled How I Play Golf, by Bobby Jones (12 films) and in 1933 titled How to Break 90 (6 films). Actors and actresses, mostly under contract with Warner Brothers, but also from other studios, volunteered to appear in these 18 episodes. Some of the more well known actors to appear in the instructional plots included James Cagney, Joe E. Brown, Edward G. Robinson, W.C. Fields, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Richard Barthelmess, Richard Arlen, Guy Kibbee, Warner Oland and Loretta Young. Various scenarios involving the actors were used to provide an opportunity for Jones to convey a lesson about a particular part of the game. The shorts were directed by the prolific George Marshall.

Jones was the subject of the quasi-biographical 2004 feature film Bobby Jones: A Stroke of Genius in which he was portrayed by James Caviezel. The film was a major box office flop, grossing only $1.2 million the first weekend and $2.7 million overall, against a production cost of over $17 million. The film was also littered with historical inaccuracies.

The Jones legend was also used to create a supporting character in The Legend of Bagger Vance in 2000, and the event where he called his own penalty is used for the main character, Rannulph Junuh.

Books

Jones authored several books on golf including Down the Fairway with O.B. Keeler (1927), The Rights and Wrongs of Golf (1933), Golf Is My Game (1959), Bobby Jones on Golf (1966), and Bobby Jones on the Basic Golf Swing (1968) with illustrator Anthony Ravielli.

Jones has been the subject of several books, most notably The Bobby Jones Story and A Boy's Life of Bobby Jones, both by O.B. Keeler. Other notable texts are The Life and Times of Bobby Jones: Portrait of a Gentleman by Sidney L. Matthew, and Triumphant Journey: The Saga of Bobby Jones and The Grand Slam of Golf by Richard Miller. Just recently published in 2006, "The Grand Slam" by Mark Frost, has received much note as being evocative of Jones's life and times.

The Bobby Jones Golf Company

Founded in 2003, the Bobby Jones Golf Company designs, develops and sells premium quality metal-woods. The company has an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with the family of Bobby Jones (known as Jonesheirs, Inc.) and the internationally renowned Hartmarx Corporation for the use of the Bobby Jones name for golf equipment and golf accessories, including items such as bags, balls, shoes, hats, gloves and other product lines. Under the agreement, the company has the exclusive sublicensing rights with third parties for the aforementioned items, including clubs.

Each club is hand-crafted by masterful club designer Jesse Ortiz, the same man who introduced the world to the TriMetal(TM) fairway wood in 1998. See [www.bobbyjonesgolf.net.]

See also

  • Golfers with most PGA Tour wins
  • Golfers with most major championship wins

External links and Notes


Book References

Credits

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