Robert Tyre Jones Jr. was born on the 17th March 1902, in Atlanta, Georgia USA,and was a golfer, generally accepted as one of the best of all time. However, Bobby was never a professional, because he considered golf a pleasure and not a job; so he was also a lawyer. His biggest triumphs were between 1923 and 1930, winning 13 of 21 (62%) national championships in which he competed. Jones won three British Opens, four times the USA Open, five times the USA Amateur Championship and once the British Amateur Championship. In 1974, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, and in 1997 he was inducted into the Georgia Tech Engineering Hall of Fame. He passed away in 1971.
How much was the net worth of Bobby Jones? It had been reported that at the time of his death, the wealth of the amateur sportsman was as much as $5 million, earned mostly from his career as a lawyer during his working life which spanned 1925-65.
Bobby Jones Net Worth $5 Million
Initially, his ability manifested itself in early childhood, when playing gold was prescribed to help strengthen him after several health issues. He never received golf lessons, but at the age of six years he won his first tournament at the East Lake Country Club. After winning several more titles, Jones became the youngest player in the USA Amateur Championship being only 14 years old and reaching the last eight. Jones was a perfectionist with his game and subjected himself to great psychological pressure, so during tournaments he often lost several kgs of weight – he also used to lose his temper easily, and it was normal to see him furiously throwing clubs during tournaments. Jones was once suspended because of this behaviour.
Brief as his career was, essentially just 15 years at the top level before retiring at the age of 28, Bobby Jones won 13 majors of the 31 in which he competed, finishing outside the top 10 only four times, and winning the (then) grand slam of US and British Opens and Amateur titles in 1930, backing himself to achieve the feat with bookmakers before the first one, and ultimately winning $60,000 at odds of 50-1.
After retiring from golf at the age of 28, Jones practiced his profession as a lawyer, wrote books and also taught golf. Jones pioneered in golf instructional films commissioned by Warner Brothers. He also advised the company Spalding in making golf clubs; after rejecting 200 different models, finally he gave his approval to a set of clubs that suited him, distinguished by having a steel shaft. Another innovation was that each club was designated with a number instead of the old Scottish names, an innovation that became standard. Jones was co-opted into advising on golf course design also co-designed the National Course at Augusta with Alister Mackenzie, the future home of the Masters tournament.
Moreover, Jones served as a captain in the US Army during World War II and took part in the Normandy landings in 1944. In 1948, he was diagnosed with a rare disease of the central nervous system called syringomyelia when the cavity of the spine is filled with fluid, causing pain and then paralysis – the disease did not allow him play golf again, as he suffered severe pain in his back and neck. At first he used a cane to walk, then had to rely on crutches, and finally he was confined to a wheelchair.
Finally, in the personal life of the amateur golfer, he was married to Mary Rice Malone from 1924 until his death. They had three children. He died on the 18th December 1971, in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
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