Bobby Jones: Amateur legend
Almost every famous golfer in the world play professional competitions but there is one person who only plays in amateur competitions and that is Bobby Jones.
Never considered a professional golfer but Bobby Jones has countless successes.
Background
Bobby Jones was born on March 17, 1902, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. He is the only son of Colonel Robert P. Jones, a famous lawyer in Atlanta. From a young age, Bobby Jones was very ill and could not eat solid food until he was 5 years old. At the age of 6, his family moved closer to East Lake Country Club, where the boy Bobby Jones suddenly got healthy and incredible and started playing sports, especially baseball and golf.
Early life and amateur career
Very quickly, Bobby Jones loves golf fiercely and gradually reveals innate talent. Jones has never been properly trained. He learned how to swing from a Scottish professional golfer, Stewart Maiden. Increasingly, Jones develops his talent and finds himself the best swing. When Jones was 9 years old, he defeated a rival than he was 7 years old at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
With all his support from his father, Bobby Jones exploded with golf. At the age of 13, Jones won a tournament at Roebuck Country Club. A year later, at the age of 14, Jones became the first known golfer on the national stand when he reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Amateur. At the age of 17, Jones won the Southern Amateur award and became a US representative in international competitions.
Until now, the world golf history still preserves the shocking image of Bobby Jones at the US Amateur. After stunned in the qualifiers, Jones defeated the American Amateur champion in 1906 Eben Byers, and Pennsylvania Amateur champion, Frank Dyer and only gave up in the third round of the reigning champion Bob Gardner.
Amateur legend
With such initial successes, Bobby Jones would have joined the professional golf village, but he still stuck his career in Amateur tournaments. By 1924, at the age of 22, Jones first won U.S. Amateur. For the next 6 years, he continued to capture the great successes at this event with 5 more coronations. Before retiring, Jones also won the British Amateur.
Remember two years ago; Jones told O.B. Keeler, an Atlanta journalist and a close friend, said: “I wonder when I can win a big tournament?” Keeler replied, “You are a good golfer, and you will succeed.” It is true that since 1923, Jones has grown up strong and become a formidable opponent in every major tournament.
Particularly in U.S. Open, Jones always sublimated. After two consecutive years, 1924 and 1925, Jones made an appointment with the championship (both ranked second), the smile returned to him in 1926. In 1928, Jones again came back with the second. But then he was crowned in 1929, 1930. Meanwhile, at The Open, Jones also had three victories, in 1926, 1927 and 1930.
Overall, from the mid-1923-1930, Bobby Jones dominated the tournaments. In 1926, Jones became the only amateur to win the U.S.Open and The Open titles in the same year. At the PGA Tour, he has 9 championships. However, soon after his great success in 1930, Jones shocked the world when he decided to retire at the age of 28. It is known that health was the reason he had to hang sticks.
Conclusion
Although from the golf course, Bobby Jones’s name is still flying everywhere. He is also a participant in the Augusta National golf course design. By 1971, Jones died of poor health.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Jones_(golfer)
