Bobby's Open: Mr Jones and the Golf Shot that Defined a Legend

by Steven Reid

Overview

NOW WITH FOREWORD BY JACK NICKLAUS

The year: 1926. Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club is hosting the world's oldest and most prestigious golf tournament—the British Open. A stellar field of players from both sides of the Atlantic has assembled hoping to claim victory, including Walter Hagen, Harry Vardon, and a rising young amateur from the United States, Bobby Jones.

Already a winner of the US Open and US Amateur Championship, Jones, who would one day go on to found the Masters Tournament at Augusta National, has yet to win a major event on British soil. To do so now would set him on a path of unrivalled achievement and into the history books as the greatest amateur golfer the world has ever known. As the competition boils down to the penultimate hole, Bobby must hold his nerve to pull off a miracle recovery shot that will fire his reputation—and that of the golf course—around the world.

Bobby's Open is the inspirational story of a golfing legend and one of the game's defining contests. Steven Reid blends social history with sporting biography to portray the most famous sportsman of his time, examining why Jones was so adored and the cruel price he ultimately paid for his genius.

Steven Reid is a lifelong member of Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, which he captained in 1996, and is currently chairman of its Heritage Committee. Steven is also Chief Medical Officer of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and a member of County Sligo Golf Club at Rosses Point, West of Ireland.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781906850289
Publisher:	Icon Books, Ltd. UK
Publication date:	06/19/2012
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Steven Reid is Chief Medical Officer of the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews and a lifelong golfer and writer specialising in the game’s history and course architecture. Previous works include Get to the Point, a history of County Sligo Golf Club.

Table of Contents

List of figures and plates ix

Foreword Jack Nicklaus xi

Preface xv

1 My, but you're a wonder, sir! 1

2 On genius and temperament 13

3 The first crossing 25

4 The transformation 41

5 On strain and destiny 57

6 The second crossing 77

7 The story of St Anne's 91

8 A glimpse into the hall of Valhalla 105

9 The final preparations 117

10 Meet the players 129

11 The first day 151

12 The second day 163

13 The final day 169

14 A teaspoonful of sand 181

15 The final hole 195

16 The presentation 205

17 Mr Jones turns sleuth 213

18 Free, at last! 223

Bibliography 231

Sources, notes and acknowledgements 235

Appendices

A Final leader board, 1926 British Open Championship 237

B The course at St Anne's then and now 239

C Bobby Jones and the Claret Jug puzzle 245

D Tommy Armour on Jones 251

E The Berrie portrait 255

F Just one more time - Jones visits St. Anne's in 1944 259