A Biography of a Legend: Bobby Jones

Bobby Jones is a selfless hometown sports legend. He won tournaments for his dad and the people of Atlanta, became a lawyer for his grandfather, and retired from golf for his wife and family before doing anything for himself. Bobby struggles on his journey to sports immortality but finds a way to persevere over each obstacle he faces. There are numerous themes played out in the film including: coming of age, love for the game, and heroism. These are three things that mold who Bobby Jones becomes as a man and a golfer.

When Bobby was a young boy he emulated the golfers he was around to develop his game. He picks up a few bad habits like his temper from his father. Bobby’s father displayed so much frustration on the course and Bobby picked it up. This temper would be one thing that prevented him from coming of age. Bobby becomes notorious for his temper tantrums and throwing clubs when he makes a mistake. His temper prevents him from thinking clearly. When he is golfing at St. Andrews for the first time he ends up caught in the bunker and keeps attempting the same shot to get out that repeatedly fails. His caddy says to him insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting a different result. Bobby’s temper is childish and once he finally gets out of the bunker he decides to walk away from the hole and quit that tournament out of frustration. Tossing clubs in frustration got him in trouble when his club hits a woman standing in the crowd. Bobby’s childish temper got him temporarily suspended from being allowed to play. This was the point where he grew up. Bobby matured overnight, writing an apology to the head of the tour saying it will never happen again. When Bobby finally comes of age his temper no longer influences his play and he keeps a positive attitude even when he goes back to St. Andrews. Bobby even says he never realized how beautiful of a course it was. His childish temper prevented him from being able to appreciate what he was doing because he was just constantly angry.

Bobby Jones plays golf because he loves the game. He’s not in it for the money like Hagan, and Bobby hates being famous. When Hagan questions him about this Bobby tells him he will remain an amateur because he loves to play and believes that money will ruin sports. This is ironic considering he is the man behind Augusta National. It’s also conflicting that Augusta excluded women for so long considering Bobby wouldn’t have even competed for a shot at the Grand Slam if it weren’t for his wife’s support. However, Bobby Jones is a true lover of the game. He is completely overwhelmed by the fame, when he goes to New York he feels completely lost due to the way they treat him. The night he takes Mary out to the bar she says that she liked him because he was sweet not famous. If she had known he was a famous golfer she probably wouldn’t have been interested in him, but since Bobby keeps a low profile refusing to act famous he was able to meet his wife.

Bobby Jones is a sports hero in so many ways. He suffered from a neurological disease and was able to win four major championships in a row after coming out of retirement. During his retirement he was a lawyer not even playing the game to please his grandfather and wife. American sports fans love players like Bobby Jones. He is a prime example of a name that will always be significant in golf. Jones is the only man to ever win the Grand Slam in golf. Until someone else manages to pull this off, Bobby Jones will be a legend to fans just because of this fact alone. He can be a hero to anyone who feels held back by physical disorder. As a young boy he was undersized and it prevented him from participating in baseball. This led him to discover his love for golf because it was a sport that he could play and succeed at. The golf course is not the place where one must be all-powerful, finesse is just as important in the sport and Bobby was able to flourish. Bobby Jones was a selfless man who people should try to emulate. Professional sports need heroes that play out of love for the game and not for money or sponsors.