The 1920s saw a golden era for sports with the likes of Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey enjoying fame that transcended baseball and boxing. They became household names. Walter Hagen and Bobby Jones were golf’s leading representatives in the roaring 20s and their exploits on the course did a huge amount to elevate golf in the eyes of the sports loving public. They were both prolific winners, but they were very different characters.
Walter Hagen transformed professional golf on both sides of the Atlantic. Not only did he set new playing standards but also, by accruing wealth and connections, he demanded to be treated on a level with anybody, regardless of class or standing. He was a pioneer of social rights as well as sporting excellence.
He was a flamboyant showman who made friends with film stars and even the Prince of Wales. He enjoyed the highlife and famously said, “I never wanted to be a millionaire, I just wanted to live like one.”
The greatest ever amateur golfer, Jones’ brief playing career was one of glittering brilliance. In 1930 he won the US and British Amateurs as well as the US and British Opens, a feat referred to as the “impregnable quadrilateral” and one that will surely never be replicated.
Jones was a lawyer by profession and he moved in esteemed circles. He remained a hugely influential figure within the game after his competitive career had ended, and perhaps his most tangible contribution to the sport was his co-founding of Augusta National Golf Club and establishment of The Masters Tournament. See how you get on in this golf quiz about these two golfing greats of the 1920s…
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