Born in 1902, the case for the player in question is not a fashionable one. But 13 Majors and the accolade of being the only person (so far) to win the Grand Slam (or the ‘Impregnable Quadrilateral’ as it was rather snazzily known at the time) all before his retirement at the age of 28 make the case of Robert Tyre Jones a more than valid one.
First things first: ignore the modern wisdom that says Jones only won seven major titles. His six victories in the US or British Amateur should certainly be counted.
In his day, the field was as strong as in professional events and were more highly regarded in what was still very much a traditionalist’s game. Jones, while by no means financially secure, opted not to turn professional out of respect for the history of the game, and also respect to his father, who wanted him to learn a ‘proper’ profession.
As a result, Jones studied hard in conjunction with his golf. He first completed a degree in Mechanical Engineering, then another in English Literature (at Harvard), before passing his law qualifications just one year later.
He did all of this while beating dedicated golf professionals on a regular basis. According to peers, he was one of the nicest men you could hope to meet, generous with his time and scrupulously honest.
In the 1925 U.S. Open, he called a two-shot penalty on himself after observing his ball move at address. No one else had seen the infringement, indeed marshals and fans alike attempted to persuade him to change his mind.
Determined to uphold the rules, Jones ensured the penalty stood, and when praised for his sportsmanship after the round simply replied, “You might as well thank me for not robbing a bank.” He lost the event by one stroke.
But it was not for his sportsmanship that Bobby Jones was inducted into golf’s Hall of Fame. Jones’ will surely be remembered for his historic grand slam, achieved in 1930 when he was just 28.
Remember, in these days performing such a feat was not easy. Crossing the Atlantic for the British Open and Amateur took six weeks (if weather was favourable) where it was difficult to get any practice in.
Similarly, both events were hosted on links courses, designs that required a different type of shot-making to the variety Jones was used to employing.
Walter Hagen, an 11-time Major winning American of the era, struggled to break 100 when he experienced such a course for the first time, and Jones’ early experiences had not been favourable.
Making life harder for Jones, the British Amateur was in matchplay format, and the first couple of rounds were played over 18 holes, leveling the playing field to an extent that a shock victory would barely even be a shock.
Nonetheless, Jones overcame his opponents to take the title at St. Andrews, moved on to Royal Liverpool to collect the Open, and left Britain with his dream still alive.
He also left with the goodwill of an adopted nation – the St. Andrews faithful took to Jones like a son, and the 10th
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