Jones' Sportsmanship

After the scorecard incident at the 1921 British Open, Jones matured. In 1925, he was playing with Walter Hagen in the U.S. Open. After missing his approach shot, he was left in the deep rough. He had set down his club and was getting ready to hit his next shot when his golf ball slightly moved. He went on to hit his pitch shot, then informed Hagen and the USGA official of what had happened, thus calling a penalty on himself. Due to this extra shot, Jones scored a 77 rather than a 76, forcing a playoff for the win. In the end, Jones lost. Praised by many sports writers for his honesty, he responded: "You may as well praise a man for not robbing a bank."

A similar occurrence took place in the next U.S. Open. Jones' ball moved after he had set up to put during a windy day in Columbus, Ohio. Again, Jones called a penalty on himself, but this time he ended up winning the tournament. Perhaps the good moral came from Jones not making golf the number one priority in his life. More about that later.

The U.S. Open replica trophy, displayed in the Brandenburg Historical Golf Museum

 

In honor of Bobby Jones, the USGA named their sportsmanship award the Bob Jones Award. They recognize one player each year, and Davis Love III is the most current recipient of this award. (You can read more about this award on the USGA website.