Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones
Alayna Liskey
Mr. KMoore
CP English 10
8 April 2019
Bobby Jones
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Bobby Jones is a very familiar name in the game of golf. Through the help and influence
of the people that surrounded him, he won many tournaments, therefore becoming known as a
very determined and successful golfer and effected the thoughts and views of a lot of people
about golf. He accomplished goals many only dream of and received extravagant awards that
still to this day, inspire golfers around the world. After beginning golf at a young age, Bobby
Jones became a successful golfer due to the dedication he possessed and influenced the
As a young boy, Bobby Jones began his golf career because of the influences made on
him. Robert Tyre Jones Jr. was born on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th, 1902, in Atlanta Georgia
(“Jones, Bobby” 86). According to Mark Frost, he was named after his grandfather, Robert Tyre
Jones, and raised by his parents Robert Purdemus Jones and Clara Jones (17). Bobby Jones
started golf at the age of five with help from his father (“Jones, Bobby” 86). As O.B. Keeler
writes, “Bobby was a tiny, spindling figure in rompers at that time, just past his fifth birthday”
(1). As Keeler continues, “The club was approximately the same length as Bobby and poked him
woefully in the stomach so that he missed the ball altogether” (2). Although, Jones did have
flaws himself. As “Jones, Bobby” writes, he had an abysmal temper on the course when he was
not playing the game like he wanted to (86). It even got to the point where Jones was throwing
clubs after a bad shot when he was 14 and 15 years old (Keeler 15). During his early teenage
years, Bobby Jones struggled maintaining a healthy weight, due to a slight eating disorder. When
he was 14 years old, he was 5’4” and 165 lbs (Keeler 7-9). Some may consider him as
overweight, but his weight was always unstable and changing. As Keeler writes, “The first five
years of his life, Bobby was about as unpromising a prospect for a competitive athlete as could
have been selected” (2). Bobby dreamed of being as much of an athlete as his father was.
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Bobby’s father, Robert Purdemus Jones, was a gifted baseball player (Frost 16). As Frost
explains, his dad was very proud of him and a huge advocate in his golf career. His number one
supporter never missed one of his important matches (22). As Keeler explains, “It was often
exploited by Bobby’s father for the entertainment of his own friends on the veranda of their
home on Sunday afternoons when Bobby was encouraged to get out on the lawn and perform
imitations” (5). Stewart Maiden, a “stocky little scot from Carnoustie”, came to East Lake and
assisted Bobby in starting his golf career. Young Bobby followed Stewart all of the course,
learning and observing how to be a successful golfer. He would coach him by giving him lessons
on the basics and fundamentals of the game when he first picked up a club, as well as being
Bobby’s acquaintance to some of his important tournaments (Keeler 3-4). As Ted Ryan explains,
he later joined his father’s law firm and became a lawyer, to undertake business with The Coca-
Cola Company. Bobby Jones, “following in his father’s footsteps, became president of the
Atlanta Athletic Club from 1946 to 1947” (Ryan 2). During Jones’ early life and the beginning
of his golf career, he was inspired and greatly supported by his friends and family, which guided
him to become a tremendous golfer because of his conscientiousness, diligence, and drive to
becoming successful.
Bobby Jones became a successful golfer because of his hard work and dedication he put
in as a competitor. He won many tournaments throughout his golf career and showed people how
skilled and accomplished he is in the game of golf. According to Encyclopedia, at age 9, he won
the Junior Championship Cup of Atlanta Athletic Club, but lost in the semi-final round at age 10.
When he was 14, he won the Georgia State Amateur Championship and qualified in playing in
his first national amateur tournament, but lost in the third round at Merion. However, the
following year, he won the Southern Amateur Championship. At ages 18 and 20, he won the
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Southern Amateur, and in addition, he won both matches in the Walker Cup Contest (48). Bobby
Jones’ 20s are shown to be the most successful years in his golf career. As Encyclopedia
continues, Bobby Jones won the National Open, after the play-off with Bobby Cruikshank, when
he was 21 years old. The next two years, he won the National Amateur at Oakmont, and one
singles in the Walker Cup Contest. At the age of 24, he won the British Open and the National
Open. Once again, he won the Southern Open, the National Open, British Open, and the National
Amateur (48). As Encyclopedia writes, Jones’ won the National Amateur and both matches in
the Walker Cup Series when he was 26. The following year, he competed in the National Open
and won after play-off with A Espinosa at Winged Foot. The year of 1930 was a big year for him
because he won the British Open, the British Amateur, both matches at the Walker Cup Series,
the National Open, and finally the National Amateur (48). Bobby Jones was a determined golfer
and never gave up during his matches because always wanted to be the best: “Bobby had
climbed another step up the mountain: he held a share of the lead at a major going into the final
round” (Frost 119). As Frost explains, he wanted to win all four of the major events of Golf in
1930, and he succeeded that goal (126). He worked for his success and his dedication was
legendary: “Bobby was on the course all day and night” (Frost 136). Bobby Jones was a very
determined competitor and he set him up for success in the famous tournaments he participated
awards. He competed in most momentous tournaments in golf history. Before Bobby Jones
retired, he played 31 majors, winning 13, and finishing top 10 in 27 of them (Frost 62).
According to Keeler, by the age of 19 years old, he competed in three U.S. Amateur
Championships, one U.S. Open, one British Amateur, and one British Open (45). As “Jones,
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Bobby” explains, Bobby won four U.S. Opens, five U.S. Amateurs, and three British Opens in
eight years. As a result of winning 12 significant tournaments from 1922 to 1930 (89). In May of
1915, Jones set a new scoring record at East Lake (Frost 32). According to Keeler, not only was
Bobby Jones a tremendous golfer, but he was also very smart in his academic studies. When he
was 18 years old, he finished his sophomore year at the Georgia School of Technology and
graduated a couple years later (25). By the age 19, he became a veteran as part of the Air Force
(Frost 32). Bobby Jones finished his B.S. course and acquired his degree, along with a Harvard
sweater at Harvard University (Keeler 67). According to “Jones, Bobby”, one of his greatest
highlights in the game of golf is when he scored a 42 on nine holes using only one hand (19). He
received a cup from Findlay S. Douglas, president of U.S.G.A. after victory over Homans
(Encyclopedia 49). As Encyclopedia writes, Bobby Jones signed a contract with the Warner
Brothers to create a series of 12 one-reel motion pictures dealing with the instructional side of
golf (47). He was the first to sweep golf’s Grand Slam. Finally, Bobby Jones retired when he was
28 years old and quit for good in 1948, suffering from back problems and a crippling nerve
illness (“Jones, Bobby 86). As “Jones, Bobby” explains, Jones created the plans and founded the
famous Masters Tournament, at the Augusta National, in 1934 (89). According to Frost, he was
one of the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete at a national and international level
(93). Winning many tournaments and being awarded some of the most significant golf awards in
Bobby Jones is a pioneer in his sport. He began playing golf at a young age and is a
prime example of how hardwork and dedication can lead to many great successes. Throughout
his career he won many tournaments and became a great influence in the game of golf and its
popularity. Because of this, Bobby Jones will always remain a legendary figure of the game.
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Works Consulted
Aumann, Mark. “Three Reasons Why Bobby Jones Excelled.” PGA, 4 Feb. 2019,
https://www.pga.com/news/golf-buzz/three-reasons-why-bobby-jones-excelled-golf.
Barkow, Al. “1900-1930: The Birth of a Golf Nation.” The Golden Era of Golf, St. Martin’s
jones-golfer.htm.
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“Bobby Jones Wins U.S. Open.” Sports in America, Facts On File, Inc., 2004, pp. 24-25.
“Jones, Bobby.” The Lincoln Library of Sports Champions, 8th ed., vol. 7, The Lincoln Library,
The New York Times Encyclopedia of Sports: Golf, Gene Brown, vol. 5, Arno Press, 1979.
Ryan, Ted. “The Story of Bobby Jones, East Lake and Coca-Cola.” Coca-Cola Journey, 6 Mar.
2019, https://www.coca-colacompany.com/stories/the-story-of-bobby-jones-east-lake-
and-coca-cola.