1930 U.S. Open (golf)

1930 U.S. Open (golf)

The 1930 U.S. Open was the 34th U.S. Open. The golf tournament was held July 10–12, 1930, at Interlachen Country Club in Edina, Minnesota. Bobby Jones won his second consecutive and record-tying 4th U.S. Open title. Having already won the British Open and the British Amateur, Jones now owned the first three titles of the single-season grand slam. He would go on to complete the achievement by winning the U.S. Amateur.

The first round, played in oppressive heat, saw Macdonald Smith and 1927 champion Tommy Armour share the lead, with Bobby Jones a stroke behind. Jones was one-under through eight holes in his second round when he hit one of his most famous shots: the "lily pad shot." Jones was attempting to reach the par-5 9th in two shots when two spectators ran onto the fairway during his swing. He mishit the ball toward the lake where it fell about twenty yards short of dry ground. Incredibly, the ball skipped off a lily pad and onto the far bank, just thirty yards short of the green. Jones would get up-and-down for an unlikely birdie, one that only added to his growing legend. Jones finished the round with a 73, putting him into second. Jones took command over the final two rounds. He shot 68 in the third round and started the final round with a front-nine 38. However, he ran into trouble with a bogey at 12 and a double bogey at 13. Now leading Smith by only one shot, Jones birdied 14 and 16. After finding the water on 17 and settling for a bogey, he needed to two-putt from 40 feet on the 18th for the championship. Instead, he holed out for birdie and a two-stroke victory over Smith. Horton Smith finished alone in third; he would eventually win the first playing of the tournament that Jones would create, The Masters.

Jones became the first to successfully defend his Open title since John McDermott in 1911–12. He was now tied with Willie Anderson with four Open titles, but he would not attempt to win a fifth. After completing the Grand Slam with his U.S. Amateur win, he retired from competitive golf.