Everything has led to this.
As we continue to count down the days to the 150th Open at St Andrews in July, our Decades Of The Open series is celebrating the remarkable journey of golf and its original Championship.
Our latest article focuses on the 1930s, a decade that initially brought continued American dominance before a flurry of English players enjoyed success.
Bobby Jones’ third and final victory at the Open retains a unique place in golfing history. Success at Royal Liverpool in 1930 formed part of an unprecedented Grand Slam, which saw Jones win the Amateur Championship, the Open, the U.S. Open and the U.S. Amateur – the four premier championships of his era - in the same year.
Jones held a share of the lead after each of the first two rounds of the Open, but then trailed by one through 54 holes as Archie Compston hit the front with a superb 68.
However, Compston then faltered badly in the final round, posting an 82, and Jones triumphed by two strokes from Leo Diegel and Macdonald Smith courtesy of a closing 75.
The superstar amateur would never play in the Open again. After completing his extraordinary Grand Slam, Jones sensationally retired from competitive golf at age 28.
To read about the other Opens that took place in the 1930s, visit https://www.theopen.com/latest/decades-of-the-open-1930s
The R&A