This dissertation has been - microfilmed exactly as received 6 7-10,893 I GORDIN, Richard Davis, 1928- ! ROBERT TYRE JONES, JR.—HIS LIFE AND 1 CONTRIBUTIONS TO GOLF. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1967 ! Education, physical University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan © Copyright by- Richard Davis Gordin 1967 ROBERT TYRE JONES, JR .— HIS LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO GOLF DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Hiilosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Richard Davis Gordin, B.A., M.A. ****** The Ohio State University 1967 Approved by A dviser Department of Hiysical Education PREFACE This study was initiated when the writer read a passage written by Bobby Jones in the foreword to a book on the history of golf. In the passage Jones said : G olf has been c a lle d "the most human o f games" and a "re­ flection of life." One reason that we enjoy it and that it challenges us is that it enables us to run the entire gamut of human emotions, not only in a brief space of time, but likew ise w ithout measurable damage e ith e r to ourselves or to o th e rs. On the golf course, a man may be the dogged victim of inexorable fate, be struck down by an appalling stroke of tragedy, become the hero of unbelievable melodrama, or the clown in a side-splitting comedy—any of these within a few hours, and all without having to bury a corpse or repair a tangled personality. ^ It was felt that a man idio could write a passage such as this must have a true appreciation of the meaning of sport—games are to be played for their intrinsic value and the enjoyment derived by each player. We, in the physical education profession, are constantly attempting to help each student acquire this appreciation. Here was a man who had it and irtio had also achieved great success playing golf as an amateur. The author believed that a study of his life, golf career and contributions to golf would contribute to the literature. After some encouragement by Professors Lewis A. Hess and Bruce L. Bennett, The Ohio State University, a letter was sent to Mr. Jones explaining the nature C h a rle s P ric e , The World o f G olf (New York: Random House, 1962), Foreword. i i of the study. He gave his consent for it to be done and promised his utmost cooperation. The study covers the entire life of Mr. Jones to the present day. His childhood is reviewed briefly; his early career as a youth is presented and his eight productive years in golf are dwelled upon extensively. The thirty-six year period from his retirement to the present is covered by presenting highlights of his life during this time. The study is concluded by a character analysis and a summary of his contributions to the game of golf. The author is indebted to many people for their help in the preparation of this study: To Dr. Lewis Hess for his patient and help­ ful guidance; to Dr. Bruce Bennett for his encouragement and under­ standing; to Dr. Lyman Leathers, Ohio Wesleyan University, for his grammatical criticism ; to Miss Mary Titus for the use of tape record­ ing equipment; to Mrs. Jean Marshall for the myriad of information and for many hours of work above and beyond the call of duty as Mr. Jones's secretary; to Mrs. Eleanor Keeler for the use of books, scrapbooks, photographs and for her hospitality; to Mr. Charles Nicklaus for his help in initiating the study; to Mrs. Milton Shonting and Mrs. Julia Lobdell for their typing; to the gentlemen \iio responded to the - questionnaire; to my wife and three sons for their understanding and patience; to the administration of Ohio Wesleyan University for financial support; and finally and most gratefully to Mr. Robert T. Jones, Jr., for his interest and invaluable cooperation. The research was accomplished through an investigation of the available literature such as books, periodicals, newspapers and i i i scrapbooks. Interviews were held witli Mr. Jones and others «ho know him well. A trip was made to the Masters Tournament during which the writer was able to talk with many people informally about the subject. A questionnaire was sent to amateur and professional golfers who have known Mr. Jones in various capacities and during different stages of his life. From the data gathered, an account of his life, golf career, and contributions to the game is presented. The author in grateful for permission to use excerpts from the books of the followfjig publishing companies : 1. From Golf Is My Game by Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. Copyright 1959, i 960 by Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. Reprinted by per­ m ission o f Doubleday and Company, In c . 2. From %e Boys* Life of Bobby Jones by 0. B. Keeler, Copyright 1931 by 0. B. Keeler, Reprinted by permission of Harper and Row Publishers, Inc. 3. From The World of Golf by Charles Price. Copyright 1962 by Charles~Frice. Reprinted by permission of Random House, Inc. The author is grateful to Mrs. Eleanor Keeler and Mr. Robert T. Jones, Jr., for permission to use photographs from their personal col­ lections. The available photographer credits are: Figure 1 - Wide World Photos, Inc.; Figure L - George Pietzcher; Figure 5 - Tye Sanders; Figure 6 - George Pietzcher; Figure 8 - New York Daily News; Figure 10 - Pacific and Atlantic Photos, Ltd.; Figure 11 - Sport and General Press Agency, Ltd.; Figure 12 - Wide World Hiotos, Inc.; Figure 13 - J . Hixon K in se lla . iv VITA Ju ly 16, 1928 .... Born - South Charleston, Ohio. February 1952 .... BJ--., Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. February to June 1952 Teacher, Westerville Public Schools, W esterville, Ohio. 1952-1953 ..................... Graduate Assistant, Department of Physical Education, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. 1953-195U ..................... Recreation Director, United Cerebral Palsy Center, Columbus, Ohio. 195k .............................. MJl., The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. 195U-1959 ..................... Instructor, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. I 959-I 961 ..................... Assistant Professor, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. 1961 -I 962 ..................... Assistant Instructor, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. 1962-1967 ..................... Assistant Professor, Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware, Ohio. FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field : Physical Education Studies in Higher Education. Professors Earl Anderson and Everett K ircher. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page PREFACE............................................................................................................................ i i LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS............................................................................................ v i i i INTRODUCTION..................... 1 Chapter I . THE early years 190?-1915 7 1908 - Stewart Maiden Arrives The F ir s t Tournament 1911 - His First Formal Competition Bobby Discovers Par — - The F irst Southern Amateur The F ir s t Big Win I I . THE LEARNING YEARS 1916-1922 21 1916 - The First National Tournament The War Years and the Red Cross Matches 1919 - The Runner-Up Year 1920 - The F ir s t United S ta te s Open 1921 - The First Trip to Great Britain 1922 - The Last of the Learning Years I I I . THE HiODUCTIVE YEARS 1923-1930 60 1923 - The F ir s t Major V ictory 1921$ - The First Amateur Championship 1925 - The Second Amateur Championship 1926 - Triumj^ Abroad 1927 - Two More Championships, One B ritish, One American 1928 - A Law Degree and the Fourth Amateur Championship 1929 - Another Open Victory and a Startling Defeat 1930 - The Grand Slam Year VI Chapter Page IV. THE LATER YEARS 1931-1965 ....................................................................... Ih5 The Retirement The Warner Brothers' Films A. G. Spalding and Club Designing The Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters Tournament His Return to St. Andrews - 1936 The War Years The Disability The Freedom of the City Award, St. Andrews, 1958 Bobby Jones Today V. JONES THE MAN AND HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GAME..................... :79 The Character of the Man His Contributions to the Game APPENDIX.....................................■......................... 19h BIBLIOGRAPHY..................................................................................................................205 Vi, LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Bobby Jones Following His U.S. Amateur Victory at Merion, 1930 5 2. The Stewart Maiden Swing After Which Bobby Jones Patterned His Own ................................................................................. 10 3. Bobby Jones Age S ix ....................................................................................... 13 L. Foui'teen Year Old Jones at Merion, 1 9 1 6 ............................................. 26 5. Stewart Maiden and His Three Pupils: Alexa Stirling, Bobby Jones and Perry A dair .................................................................3li 6 . Harry Vardon and Bobby Jones at Inverness, 1920 ...................... 7. Jones Ready to Begin the Productive Y ears .........................................6l 8 . Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen in Florida, 1926 81 9. The Deciding P u tt on the F in a l Hole a t Winged Foot, 1929 .......................................................................................................... 108 10. The Bunker Shot From ihO Yards Which Jones Holed in His Match w ith R o p e r ........................................................................... 120 11. Jones Driving During His Final Match with Roger Wethered, 1930 British Am ateur..........................................................................