Executing The Unthinkable

Bob Jones Won The Grand Slam in 1930, Then In A Shocking Move, Quit Golf


February 26, 2008

On June 3, 2008, the USGA Museum and Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History will open to the public following a three-year renovation and expansion project. The new exhibitions in the Palmer Center will present the game’s history in a unique and original way, viewing golf within the context of American social, cultural and political history. USGA champions and memorable moments in championship history will be placed at the forefront of the visitor experience. Central to each gallery is a main story – an iconic moment – pivotal for understanding the game’s development. Our national identity is inextricably linked to these defining championships. 

This is the second installment in a six-part series highlighting each iconic moment. The first story featured Francis Ouimet.

By Doug Stark, USGA

In his first-round match at the 1930 British Amateur against ex-coalminer Sid Roper, Jones holed this approach shot from a bunker on the fourth hole. He defeated Roper, 3 and 2. (USGA Photo Archives)

After winning the British Amateur and British Open, Jones returned to America a conquering hero. Celebrated in parades and by newspapers scribes across the nation, Jones was a revered sporting icon. His sporting contemporaries of the 1920s -- Jack Demspey, Red Grange, Babe Ruth and Bill Tilden -- had moved on, either retired or were long past their prime. Only Jones remained from a decade that gave us the athlete as hero.  Jones was the last great athlete from the 1920s still playing, still in his prime. Thoughts had turned to whether he could also win the U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur in the same year. 

While fame and fortune followed Jones in the summer of 1930, his fellow Americans were experiencing a new world. The “Roaring Twenties,” a time of prosperity and joy, had ended. Gone were the days of indulging in movies, sporting events, vacations and automobiles. A softening economy shook everyone’s confidence. Dark days lay ahead for most Americans. 

Despite the country’s changing mood, Jones forged ahead in his quest. The U.S Open at Interlachen Country Club in Minneapolis, Minn., was his next stop. Weathering oppressive temperatures that reached 108 degrees, Jones posted a score of 71 and trailed Macdonald Smith and Tommy Armour by one stroke. At the close of the second round, he stood behind Horton Smith by two strokes.

The final two rounds were played on a Saturday (July 12). Before a crowd of 10,000 spectators, Jones shot 68 in the morning to take a five-stroke lead, and then held on through the grueling pressure of the final round. He holed a 40-foot putt for birdie on the 72nd hole to claim a two-stroke victory over Smith.

Only the U.S. Amateur remained for immortality. The final stop would be Merion Cricket Club, outside of Philadelphia. 

After breezing through the first few rounds, Jones faced a tougher test in the 36-hole semifinal against Jess Sweetser, who he defeated 9 and 8. Jones dominated the 36-hole final against Eugene Homans by securing a 7-up lead in the morning round. He double bogeyed the 28th hole when he failed to escape a greenside bunker, but a conceded par at the 29th secured the victory. 

With that, Jones had won the Grand Slam. He had done the unthinkable. U.S. Marines, brought in especially to protect Jones and Homans, fought back the massive swell, 18,000 strong, who rushed the course seeking a glimpse of Jones. All they hoped was to touch him, wanting to be part of history. 

As quickly as it was accomplished, it was over. Shortly after reaching the summit, Jones retired. He was a mere 28 years old -- at the peak of his ability. The most popular athlete in America. The best golfer ever. Period. 

Americans who had followed his every move for months were stunned. They surmised he must be tired and thought that after a winter of rest he would return. How could he not?  But Jones did something that had never been done before. He walked away at the height of his ability, at the top of his game and never had a desire to return. Years later, football stars Jim Brown and Barry Sanders, and baseball’s Sandy Koufax followed similar paths by retiring at the top of their games. In 1930, though, this was unimaginable. 

And for Americans in 1930, the first painful year of “The Great Depression,” he was a reminder of a time of prosperity and security that was slowly vanishing.

In an anxious world, Jones provided a respite and, perhaps more important, a rare glimpse of perfection.

Doug Stark is the USGA’s Curator of Education and Outreach. E-mail him with questions or comments at dstark@usga.org.