Bobby Jones had co-founded The Masters so even though he had retired from golf, it was natural that he play in the first major tournament at Augusta National Golf Club in 1934.
Our Vintage Photo of the Day captures an important moment in the history of golf: Jones, the superstar of American golf, putting directly into the camera lens on March 23 of that year as he helps christen what is now an international sporting event.
The tournament came a year after the now famous course was completed but Jones had been in retirement since 1930. Casual fans may think he was a successful pro but in reality, Jones had always competed as an amateur, preferring to earn his living as a Georgia lawyer.
Jones was clearly out of practice, but he competed respectably. He finished ten strokes behind winner Horton Smith with a score of 294, tied for 13th place. The total prize money at the first Masters was $5,000 with Smith pocketing $1,500 for winning.
What the photographer for Acme News Service did with his angle and lens, is signify Jones’ stature in the golf world by making him appear bigger than life at the course he helped build.
Bidding for this photo, and dozens of other sports and historic images, continues through Tuesday at RMYAuctions.com.
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