The Legend Bobby Jones

Bobby Jones, (born March 17, 1902, Atlanta—died December 18, 1971, American amateur golfer who, in 1930, became the first man to achieve the golf Grand Slam by winning in a single year the four major tournaments of the time: the British Open (Open Championship), the U.S. Open, and the British and U.S. amateur championships. From 1923 through 1930 he won 13 championships in those four annual tournaments, a feat unequalled until 1973, when Jack Nicklaus surpassed that total with wins at the U.S. Open, British Open, PGA Championship, and Masters Tournament.

A practicing lawyer in Atlanta, Jones never became a professional golfer and rarely played in championship competition after his final Grand Slam victory, the U.S. Amateur tournament in 1930. He won the U.S. Amateur five times (1924, 1925, 1927, 1928, and 1930), the U.S. Open four times (1923, 1926, 1929, and 1930), the British Open three times (1926, 1927, and 1930; he was the first amateur to win), and the British Amateur in 1930. In five Walker Cup tournaments between U.S. and British amateur teams, he won 9 of 10 matches. In 1958 he became the first American since Benjamin Franklin (in 1759) to receive the freedom of the burgh of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland, home of the premier golf club of the world.

After retiring from competitive golf in 1930, Jones founded and helped design the Augusta National Golf Club soon afterwards in 1933. He also co-founded the Masters Tournament, which has been annually staged by the club since 1934 (except for 1943–45, when it was canceled due to World War II). The Masters evolved into one of golf's four major championships. Jones came out of retirement in 1934 to play in the Masters on an exhibition basis through 1948. Jones played his last round of golf at East Lake Golf Club, his home course in Atlanta, on August 18, 1948. A picture commemorating the event now sits in the clubhouse at East Lake. Citing health reasons, he quit golf permanently thereafter.