Evening star., 1924-11-30
Golf Grown Won After Battle
For Years With Own Handicap

Bobby went down in the second
round of the amateur at st. Louis
that year before the icannv chip
ping and putting of pallie Hunter.
then British amateur tiLY holder.
And the next yea, O.obert. Tyre
Jones, needing a BIRD and a par to
win the open championship at Skokie.
finished in second place with Grand
father John Black. But the big tesy
of the control over temper was yet to
come. For Bobby went up to Brook
line, that beautiful course set down
in a charming suburb just outside o.
Boston, touted as the strongest con-
tender for the amateur championship
1t seemed nothing could stop the
Southern youngSter
He proved there definitely to him.
self and to the world that he had
conquered himself. and in conquerine
himself proved TO the world that not
much longer could lie be denied.
Bobby Jones reached the semi-fina,
round of the mpionship, where he
met Jess Sweetser Of New York. And
right at the start of this match
Sweetser holed a mashie shot on the
second hole for an eagle ., with
Bobby Jones lying inches away for
birdie 3. With that shot Sweetse~
went into a lead he never relin-
quished. Bobby Jones was down al
the end of the ninth hole and al
though he came back in 81. he won
but one hole-that the seventeenth.
where Sweetser took three puts. Five
down beginning the afternoon round
with card of "A against 50 for
Sweetser. the great Southern boy
again found hole after hole slipping
away from him in his valiant stand
TO enter the final round. But Sweet
ser was just too good and Bobby
was beaten on the twenty-ninth
green by and Z, the worst beating
he ever took in a championship
Never a show of anger. not a single
display of ruff1ed temper, not a. com
plaint over a bad break accompanied
that beating. Bobby had conquered
himself and the championships was
not far away.
:: = x
WE followed Bobby Jones up to
W Inwood, S5 miles from New
York, on Long Island. in June, 1929.
And we watched Bobby Jones. with
his greatest chance to win the omen
championship, hook an iron shot out
of bounds at the sixteenth hole of the
final round-drop another ball. pus
1t within eight feet of the pin from
200 yards away and hole the putt
for 8. Believing that Bobby was
finally to win, we watched him come
to the eighteenth with a 4 for a total
of 294 for the 72 holes. which would
win with strokes to spare over the
greatest field ever gathered for the
open. And then we saw Bobby, with
the strain of that grueling 72 holes
of medal play bending his, strong
young shoulders. hook his second
shot up against post that guarded
the thirteenth tee from the trampline
thousands who followed Jones and
the other competitors.
There was a palaver about whether
the post should be removed and Bobby
allowed TO play his shot free from,
obstruction. Finally, after a heart
breaking delay, the post was removed.
while Bobby, completely exhausted.
let his mind run over the shots he had
missed. He took four shots to get
down from 20 yards away from the
pin, the hole costing him a and
allowing, Bobby Cruickshank. who
came over the last nine holes a.. a
furious rate, to tie with him.. Did
Bobby lose his temper at that
ridiculous from 20 yards away
Not bit of 1t. And noting the re-
suit, o. e. Keeier, brilliant golf
writer of Atlanta, who has foilowe'a
Bobby Jones since the lad was large
enough TO swing golf club. quietly
predicted he would win in the play
off the next day.
Bobby Jones and Bob Cruickshank
came to the eighteenth hole of the
play-off all square on strokes. with
one great shot needed to- win the
title. And Bobby Jones made 1t, while
Bob Cruickshank topped his tee shot
That was the end of Bobby Jones
temper. 1t was definitely buried, for
gotten, vanquished and lay as deep
as the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.