1924 US Amateur at Merion Golf Club Contestant Badge - Bobby Jones Winner
This ultra rare USGA issued gold-tone and red contestant badge taking in Bobby Jones' first of five US Amateur wins and second major championship from inside the ropes - emerging as one of a scant few survivors from that historic performance narrowly preceding the Great Depression in impeccable condition.
"Southern Wizard Finally Lands the National Championship After Eight Years of Effort," headlined the September 28, 1924 'New York American' newspaper. The story chronicled that of golf's golden boy Bobby Jones steamrolling of runner-up finalist George Von Elm 9 & 8 - and more importantly the previously embattled Jones' completion of his Havemeyer Trophy quest! It wasn't without a handful of stymies factoring into the duel, for time-period context. Bobby Jones finished the job on the hallowed grounds in which he started it - Ardmore, Pennsylvania's Merion Golf Club. Not a single afternoon hole was surrendered to the last adversary in Von Elm, following Jones' four-up morning wakeup call in the final match. Perhaps the momentum Jones built besting the 'Father of Amateur Golf' Francis Ouimet 11 and 10 in the semifinal had something to do with it.
Time-period United States Golf Association tournament contestant badge design with scalloped edges and 'Contestant' headlining the badge in white enamel, with a red circle of like composition. An ornate gold-tone badge representing the most challenging of all tournament credentials, the high-grade hobby entrant boasts vibrant color and tournament specific verbiage encircling the intertwined 'USGA' in shallow relief. The verso pin still works and bottom loop still intact culminating in an unimprovable example of the decorated amateur's first win at the top contest.
While eight years had past since Bobby Jones' 1916 debut also at Merion Golf Club, World War I had given the Georgia Peach five tries at the US Amateur or National Amateur crown since. The in-between years went as such; Runner Up in 1919 to S. Davison Herron (followed by a letter from USGA president regarding Jones' on-course temper), Low Qualifier in 1920 with Semi-Finals exit at the hand of Francis Ouimet, third round defeat in 1921, Semi-Final loss to Jess Sweetser in 1922 and finally Low Qualifier was bounced in the second round by eventual champion Max Marston. His thoughts on finally winning in 1924? “I didn’t play any better at Merion than I played before when I was beaten,” Jones later told renowned sportswriter Grantland Rice of The American Golfer. Bobby Jones “I averaged 73 against [Max] Marston and was beaten. I averaged 74 against [Jess] Sweetser – and was beaten. I averaged around 73 against [Francis] Ouimet and [George] Von Elm – and this time nobody went wild with one of those 70 or 68 rounds. Any time anybody shoots a 68 or a 70 he is going to come pretty close on that day to beating anybody in the world.” Bobby Jones was politely knocking on the door until he kicked it down in 1924 at the familiar Merion Cricket Club. As a market comparison, we sold a 1924 US Amateur ticket from September 24th for $12,122 in our 2023 September Auction, this contestant badge about 100 times as rare at time of issuance. Take advantage of your only opportunity to add this stunning token of scarcity from Bobby Jones' first US Amateur win.
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