The Slam: Bobby Jones and the Price of Glory
There is a huge difference between a healthy respect for someone’s significant accomplishments and outright hero worship.
Some folks manage to confuse the two. Thankfully, Curt Sampson is not one of them.
Sampson is a former touring professional and current golf writer, with several myth-fracturing books to his credit. These include a history of the British Open, a thoughtful biography of Ben Hogan, and a history of The Masters Tournament that did not stick to the preferred script of some members of Augusta National.
This year marked the 75th anniversary of Bobby Jones’ Grand Slam, the string of four major tournament victories in 1930 that has never been equaled. Once again, Sampson maintained his respectful but clear-eyed approach to his subject matter, and produced yet another fine golf history.
One would think that finding a fresh approach to this well-trod storyline would be a challenge. When Tiger Woods made his own run at the modern-day Slam a few years ago, sportswriters went a bit nuts with the hypothetical comparisons and look-backs at Jones’ feat. Of course, nearly every annual telecast of The Masters also includes some reference to the Slam, and with good reason—Jones would have never been able to join with others in the creation of Augusta National and its major event without those four wins to his credit.
Sampson’s analysis is centered on showing how Jones’ experience in 1930 made him a unique path-maker for his time. Jones was among the first accomplished athletes of the modern era who found himself in a position to cash in significantly on his sporting performances. The movie shorts Jones made after his Grand Slam, in partnership with Warner Brothers, brought him and his family sudden and significant wealth.
For a young man whose academic and working career at that point was as checkered as his golfing talents were stunning, this one deal alone must have felt like the modern-day equivalent of hitting the Powerball lottery.
As Sampson also shows, while the chosen method may not have been predicted, some way of converting his amateur accomplishments into a family fortune was never really far from Jones’ mind, well before he started on his quest to win all four majors in a single year.
Jones had some significant advantages along the way, in addition to his undeniable talent for the game. He had a privileged childhood, which itself was not that different from many others competing in the major amateur events of the early twentieth century. In addition, however, he received the advice and counsel of O.B. Keeler, the Atlanta Journal writer who also served as Jones’ unofficial press secretary and public relations advisor.
Keeler’s guidance surely assisted Jones’ transition from the petulant, club-throwing teenager in his early competitive years, to the smooth media manipulator he became as a young adult and champion. Jones was also more than willing to accept the occasional assistance provided through his connections to the United States Golf Association, whose leadership found in Jones the embodiment of that organization’s notion of the ideal amateur.
Sampson delves into some of the particulars of that symbiotic relationship, and not all of those details are among golf’s shining moments. Two specific examples from the 1930 U.S. Open involving President Bush’s grandfather are rarely mentioned in other histories of the Grand Slam, but Sampson has no such reticence.
On the other hand, Sampson also recognizes that while there may have been some questionable rules decisions, one can’t simply assume that Jones’s eventual victory was forever tarnished—perhaps just dinged a little. The perspective of one of Sampson’s interview subjects on this issue is also helpful, as is the memory of similar controversies, such as Trey Holland’s mistaken gift to Ernie Els in the 1994 U.S. Open at Oakmont.
The short lesson is that when the umpires are also amateurs, some mistakes will inevitably creep into the mix.
In any event, before Jones could figure out how to leave competitive golf behind for greener pastures, he first had to win the two Amateurs and the two Opens. For these passages, Sampson relies upon contemporary newspaper stories, Jones’ own published accounts, and current recollections from those who knew or were related to the participants.
In addition, as noted on the book cover’s flyleaf, Sampson played each of the four courses as part of his historical research. There’s no direct reference to that fact in the book, but some of the shot-by-shot descriptions and strategy discussions are obviously the result of being there and doing that. That was a nice touch, and frequently helped in comprehending some of the competitive choices made during the tournaments.
At the same time, Sampson shows his readers the human side of a true sports legend. That perspective has not always been faithfully portrayed in sports biographies, and it should be appreciated. His description of the social, physical, and mental demands on Jones during the 1930 season is essentially sympathetic, and gives a useful perspective on the price one sometimes pays to compete at a very high level.
Sampson also does a fine job in describing the social history of the time, placing Jones’ story in its proper context. The Depression was well underway in 1930, and Jones’ feat helped provide a welcome diversion to the troubles that befell most Americans during that time.
This is a very good sports biography that gives a well-rounded perspective on its subject. I highly recommend it.
Review date: October 10, 2005