I
t's been nearly a century since
Bobby Jones, the greatest ama-
teur golfer in history, won his
first U.S. Amateur Champi-
onship in 1924 at Merion Cricket
Club outside Philadelphia.
Jones also went on to win in 1925,
1927, 1928 and 1930 – the latter his
fifth and final U.S. Amateur title,
completing an unprecedented
sweep of that era's four major
championships in the same year:
the British Amateur, British Open,
U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur.
All of which is why Jones will
forever be remembered as the only
golfer to win the calendar "Grand
Slam" and as the face of the U.S.
Amateur Championship.
Perhaps another star will be born
on Aug. 20 at Riviera Country Club
in Pacific Palisades. That's where
the winner of the 117th U.S. Ama-
teur Championship will be crowned
and presented with the coveted
Havemeyer Trophy, one of the most
prestigious prizes in golf.
The winner of the 36-hole match
play final at Riviera, culminating a
week of competition at Riviera and
stroke-play co-host Bel-Air Country
Club, will join an exclusive frater-
nity of champions headlined by
Jones, the only five-time champion,
and Tiger Woods, the only player to
win three consecutive U.S. Ama-
teurs (1994-96).
Woods, a cinch World Golf Hall
U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP
SoCal
GOLF
INSIDER
SHOOTING
FOR THE STARS
U.S. Amateur Championship contestants will attempt to
follow in the footsteps of golf 's greats • BY RANDY YOUNGMAN
continued on the next screen
>>
The U.S. Amateur
Championship
helped launch the
careers of PGA
Tour stars such as
Phil Mickelson,
Tiger Woods, and
Arnold Palmer.
