Posted 4/14/03 9:57 am ET

Amazing Amateurs - Bobby Jones

Masters exemplifies golfer's successes

Augusta National co-founder Bobby Jones never was a contender for a green jacket at his tournament, but the career amateur retired from golf at the age of 28 with 13 major victories. File/The Augusta Chronicle

By John Boyette
The Augusta Chronicle

During his career, Bobby Jones put together one of the best records in golf history.

That he achieved 13 major victories and numerous other titles all as an amateur only makes his resume more impressive.

After obtaining golf's equivalent of the Holy Grail in 1930 with the Grand Slam winning the U.S. and British Opens and U.S. and British Amateurs in the same year Jones retired at 28.

Off the course, Jones found plenty to keep him busy once his playing days were through. A noted scholar who held degrees in mechanical engineering and English literature and was a practicing lawyer, Jones was a Renaissance man. Not only did he make instructional films about the game, but he also authored several books and designed golf clubs.

But it was a partnership with Clifford Roberts and their vision of a private club and tournament that would prove to be Jones' legacy.

The private club that formally opened in 1933 was Augusta National Golf Club. And the tournament, a gathering of the top players and Jones' friends, evolved into the Masters Tournament.

Four years removed from formal competition, Jones' decision to play in the inaugural Augusta National Invitation Tournament in 1934 was big news. No matter that Jones finished well behind winner Horton Smith; he still was the main attraction. He turned in respectable rounds of 76, 74, 72 and 72 to finish tied for 13th.

Jones never was a threat in the tournament he helped found. In 12 appearances, he finished in the top 24 just twice and never broke par in Masters competition.

Because of his amateur status, Jones took great pride in making certain that amateurs were a part of the Masters. To this day the tradition lives on, with invitations extended to the U.S. Amateur finalists and the winners of the British Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links.

Jones was a national hero during the Roaring '20s. Babe Ruth, Jack Dempsey and Red Grange were just a few of the sports stars who shared headlines and the public's fascination with Jones.

He made his major championship debut at the tender age of 14 in the U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club. Although Jones didn't win, he served notice that he was a player of consequence.

Success didn't come right away. Playing at St. Andrews in the 1921 British Open, Jones grew frustrated and withdrew from the tournament. Near misses were the norm for Jones until he broke through with a victory in the U.S. Open in 1923 at Inwood Country Club in New York. It would be the start of a remarkable streak in which he would win at least one major for eight consecutive years.

Chip Shots  "I have enjoyed thoroughly every minute of my golfing career and have never even thought about a price on my amateur standing." - Bobby Jones   • Bobby Jones Section For more on Bobby Jones, visit the History section.

From 1923 to 1930, Jones' resume reads: five U.S. Amateurs, four U.S. Opens, three British Opens and one British Amateur, not to mention the countless other tournaments he won and exhibition matches he played.

A closer look reveals that Jones won 13 of the 21 national titles he played for during that eight-year span. (As an amateur, he couldn't afford to travel overseas each year for the British championships.) He lost two U.S. Opens in playoffs. And he did it all in an era when traveling to Great Britain took days.

Jones was equally successful with Augusta National and the Masters. With Jones' knowledge of the game and Roberts' skill as a businessman, the tournament flourished in ways neither could have imagined. It became a major championship and enjoys a reputation today as one of the world's premier sporting events.

Although Jones spent his later years confined to a wheelchair after suffering from the spinal disease syringomyelia, he still was a strong presence at the Masters through the 1960s.

Before his death in December 1971 at 69, Jones had witnessed unprecedented growth in the game. His contributions to the game had not gone unnoticed.

In 1958, a weakened Jones made his way back to St. Andrews, where he was made an Honorary Burgess of the Borough. Only one other American Benjamin Franklin nearly 200 years before had been so honored. From a tempestuous youth to one of the game's elder statesmen, Jones had come full circle.

``I could take out of my life everything except my experiences at St. Andrews and I would still have a rich, full life,'' Jones told the assembly.

Jones at the Masters
Year	Place	Score
1934	tie 13th	76-74-72-72-294
1935	tie 25th	74-72-73-78-297
1936	33rd	78-78-73-77-306
1937	tie 29th	79-74-73-77-303
1938	tie 16th	76-74-72-75-297
1939	tie 33rd	76-77-78-73-304
1940	withdrew	79-76-155
1941	40th	76-74-78-79-307
1942	tie 28th	72-75-79-78-304
1946	tie 32nd	75-72-77-78-302
1947	tie 55th	75-79-78-80-312
1948	50th	76-81-79-79-315

 

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