1941 The Ryder Cup Team vs. Bobby Jones Challenge Team at Detroit GC Official Program - Rare
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. The American people were seeking a diversion from what everyday life had become in 1941. It was scheduled for a week short of two years after Germany invaded Poland, Great Britain and France starting World War II. The biennial Ryder Cup was set to return to home soil and that welcomed diversion (or temporary return to normalcy); however due to the ongoing war the visiting British Team couldn't make the trip. The show had to go on. In benefit of the United Service Organization, the preselected US Ryder Cup Team, under the tutelage of Walter Hagen, was pinned against Bobby Jones' Challengers. The playing(!) captain Jones was at the time retired from tournament golf with the exception of his Masters since for over a decade - a momentous turn of events to the pleasure of the people. Jones hand selected the best-of-the-best including three Masters winners as of 1941 in Gene Sarazen (1935), Jimmy Demaret (1940) and Craig Wood (1941) along with the club's head professional Ed Dudley. With his men Jones was presented the actual Ryder Cup trophy still used following the 8½-6½ upset of the Walter Hagen led Ryder Cup Team (US Captain since 1927), Aug. 23-24, 1941, at Detroit Golf Club. The American Ryder Cup team, led by Hagen, included eventual Detroit GC head professional 1946-1963 Horton Smith, Sam Snead, Henry Picard, Byron Nelson, Vic Ghezzi, Ralph Guldahl, and Paul Runyan. The Bobby Jones Challenge Team included playing Captain Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jimmy Demaret, Craig Wood, and Lawson Little.
Unified in fundraising efforts, this survivor and only surviving intact program we have offered boasts a heavily patriotic cover design with the text written in the red and white stripes underlining a blue tinted Detroit Golf Club image making up the United States flag. United Service Organization (USO) shield is positioned in the upper left corner of this once 25 cent ephemeral enigma to many collectors until now. Vibrant coloring and overall good condition is the proud report for this rare program, backed up by the accompanying lot photos. Bobby Jones again prevailed that day, but it was the people of the United States that were the real winners.
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