By the time the U.S. Amateur began, the entire country
was caught up in the drama. The pressure on Jones was immense as he returned
to a familiar course just outside Philadelphia. Jones' career came full circle
at the Merion Cricket Club, the site where he had played in his first national
tournament at the age of 14 and had also won his first U.S. Amateur in 1924.
When Jones returned in 1930, he was back for his last attempt at a national
title and the conclusion of the Grand Slam. Once play began at Merion, it
became apparent that Bobby Jones was focused on the task at hand and simply
would not be denied. He began by winning the medal with rounds of 69 and 73,
equaling the 36-hole course record. From that point on he was never down to
an opponent in any match and was never in any serious danger of being beaten.
Jones won his first two 18-hole matches 5 and 4. In the 36-hole matches, which
he personally preferred, he defeated Fay Coleman 6 and 5, and Jess Sweetser
9 and 8. Jones' opponent In the finals, Gene Homans, played poorly the first
18 holes and Jones himself struggled on the front nine. But after a 33 on
the back, Jones went into the clubhouse leading by seven. Back on the course,
Jones hit two perfect shots on the 11th hole, leaving himself with a ten-inch
putt. Homans faced an 18-foot putt to keep the match alive. Before his ball
stopped rolling, Homans walked over to Jones, shook his hand, and conceded
the match. Jones never putted. The largest gallery in USGA history-some 18,000
strong-erupted instantly, storming the green in an effort to get close to
the greatest champion golf had ever seen. Although the clubhouse was just
six hundred yards away, it took a cordon of fifty marines to escort Jones
that short distance. The New York Times would call it, "the most triumphant
journey that any man ever traveled in sport." Bobby Jones had accomplished
a feat that had seemed unthinkable, unimaginable, and which would never again
be duplicated-he had captured the Open and Amateur Championships of the United
States and Great Britain all in the same year.
