Bobby Jones is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers to have ever graced the game.
A true pioneer for the game, Jones served as the inspiration for many golfing greats in the making who idolised him when growing up.
Jones was the co-founder of Augusta National in 1930 and the Masters tournament four years later.
Incredibly, he never turned professional, but still managed to win seven major championships, before retiring at the age of just 28.
During a seven year span in the 1930’s, Jones won four US Open trophies and three Open Championship titles. He really was one of a kind.
The seven-time major champion was a qualified lawyer, and his profession in law was his main source of income – how golf has changed throughout the years!
Amazingly, in 1930 Jones won the US Amateur and the British Amateur Championship as well as the US Open and the Open all within the space of a few months of each other. What an incredible achievement that was.
However, one of his most memorable wins was his US Open triumph at Winged Foot way back in 1929.
Bobby Jones won a play-off at the 1929 US Open by 23 shots
By the time Jones arrived at the famed Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York State, he had already won four major championships.
He was the dominant player in the game at the time, so it was no surprise that he lifted the trophy in the end. However, the manner in which he did so came as somewhat of a surprise.
Eventual runner-up – Al Espinosa – birdied his 16th and 17th holes during his final round at Winged Foot to finish on a total of 294, six-over par for the tournament.
That meant that Jones had to hole his 12-foot putt for par on the final hole to force a play-off with Espinosa. It was no shock to anyone when the best golfer in the world at the time duly obliged and buried the putt.
However, what followed was truly unbelievable.
In those days, US Open play-offs were played over 36 holes, and Jones ran away with the trophy in the end, finishing a massive 23 shots clear of his opponent.
Jones made his way around Winged Foot in three-under par during the 36-hole play-off, while Espinosa struggled desperately, shooting rounds of 84 and 80 to finish up with a total of 20-over par.
It was a remarkable show of dominance from Jones, as he further cemented his place at the summit of the game.
Bobby Jones’s major record
Perhaps the biggest surprise is that Jones failed to win the Masters – the tournament that was his brainchild!
His best finish at Augusta was a tie for 13th in 1934 and being an amateur, he was never eligible to compete in the PGA Championship.
However, he reigned supreme at the US and British Open championships, as he did in the US and British amateurs as well.
| Tournament | Jones’s wins by year |
| US Open | 1923, 1926, 1929, 1930 |
| The Open Championship | 1926, 1927, 1930 |
| US Amateur | 1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, 1930 |
| British Amateur | 1930 |
Not too bad for a lawyer really!
Jones will always be remembered for his smooth and silky golf swing and his outstanding success ensured that he left an indelible mark on the history of the game of golf.