Jones’ 1930 Grand Slam was a rare feat…

On this day 57 years ago, Bobby Jones was honored by President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon at the National Golf Awards dinner at the Plaza Hotel. It was 30 years after the fact and by this time Jones was 57 years old and retired from competitive golf for last 17. Jones completed the Grand Slam in 1930 when he won the U.S. Amateur at Merion. He is still the only person to technically pull off the (pre Masters) Grand Slam. In 1930 he collected the:

The Amateur Championship, Old Course at St Andrews, Scotland

The Open Championship, Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake, England

U.S. Open, Interlachen Country Club, Minnesota

The U.S. Amateur, Merion Golf Club, Pennsylvania

Out of all the golfing Presidents it had to be Eisenhower I credit for being an absolute golf fanatic. For starters, he installed the first putting green in the Oval office. He even had his own membership & cabin at Augusta National Golf Club where he would spend down time. Although the night of the event the Chief Executive could not attend, so it was Nixon who presented Jones the award. He received at Silver globe with engravings of his triumphs from the links in 1930.

Interestingly enough, Jack Nicklaus was honored at the same dinner…

Young Jack Nicklaus, just 19 at the time was also awarded at the dinner. He was the amateur champion the previous year becoming the

youngest champion in over 50 years. At the time he was just an up and coming star from Ohio State University. Little did they know that night that he would become one of the greatest players of all time. Just a short time after the dinner, Nicklaus would get started with his major’s record by winning the U.S. Open in 1960.