Jim Barnes

James Martin Barnes (April 8, 1886 – May 24, 1966) was a leading figure in the early years of professional golf in the United States.

Barnes was born in Lelant, Cornwall, England. Like many golfers of his era, Barnes worked as a caddie and a club-maker's apprentice while growing up. He moved to the United States and turned professional in 1906. From 1923–1926, he was resident professional at the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club in Temple Terrace, Florida, which hosted the 1925 Florida Open (dubbed "The Greatest Field of Golfers Ever to Play in Florida") as well as the 1926 Florida Open with over one hundred contestants and a $5,000 cash prize. In 1925–26 his good friend and fellow golfer Fred McLeod wintered with him there where they worked with James Kelly Thomson from North Berwick.

Barnes was also known as "Long Jim" for his height of 6 feet 4 inches. He later moved to the Oakland, California area, where he resided for many years. He authored several books on golf technique. He died in East Orange, New Jersey.

Barnes won four majors:

• PGA Championship: 1916, 1919
• U.S. Open: 1921
• British Open: 1925

Barnes's two PGA titles were the first in the event; there was no tournament in 1917 or 1918 because of World War I. His winning margin in the 1921 U.S. Open was nine strokes, a record which was not broken until Tiger Woods won the 2000 U.S. Open by 15 strokes.

Barnes was one of the most prolific tournament winners of the first few seasons of the PGA Tour, which was also founded in 1916. He won 21 times on the tour in total. In 1940, Barnes was honored as one of the 12 golfers to be inducted in the PGA's inaugural Hall of Fame. In 1989, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.