Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 January 1917 — BOBBY JONES IS PRODIGY OF GOLF LINKS [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BOBBY JONES IS PRODIGY OF GOLF LINKS

‘‘tittle Bobby” Jones, the most famous boy in the United States owing to his almost reaching the semifinal round for the national golf championship, devotes himself with as much earnestness and success to his studies in the Tech high school here as he does to winning-golf matches, says an Atlanta dispatch to Philadelphia Public Ledger. Last year, in the first grade in the Tech high school, he took second year Latin in addition to his regular first year studies, and did it of his own volition. The Tech Instructors who have taught “Little Bob” say there is no better student in the school. - “Little Bob’s” name is Robert Tyre Jones, Jr., and he is named for his grandfather, Robert Tyre Jones, Sr., a prominent citizen of Canton, Ga. His father, Robert P. Jones, is. an Atlanta lawyer. “Little Bob” w T as born on March 17, 1902, In the old L. P. Grant homestead, near Grant park. At that time his parents were living at the Grant homesteadwith friends, Mr. and Mrs. Bryan M. Grant. For the last nine years the Joneseshavellvedat East Lake, and when he was six years old “Little Bob” began to knock a golf ball up and down the streets of that flourishing municipality, which has grown up around the East Lake club. At the age of nine “Little Bob” made

his debut on the East Lake golf course with a set of clubs, a Img and some “regular” balls. Steward Maided, instructor at East Lake, saw his promise right from the start and began to train him. “Little Bob” gives Maiden the full credit for his skill at the game. It was in the southern championship tournament played over the East Lake course in 1915 that “Little Bob” first came into prominence. Although he did not win in that tournament he showed his class in every round. Later in the summer of 1915 he won the invitation tournament of the Roebuck club of Birmingham. §till later he won the invitation. tournament of the Druid Hills club and the invitation tournament of the East Lake club. He established the course record for East Lake with a 77. Since that time he has lowered the East Lakerecord to 74. In 1916 “Little Bob” came fully into his own. He won the invitation tournament of the Birmingham Golf and Country club, won the invitation tournament of East Lake, won the invitation tournament of the Cherokee Golf and Country club of Knoxville, and Won the Georgia championship at. Brooks Haven a few w r eeks ago. In the last-named tournament he defeated Perry Adair, Atlanta’s other juvenile golf wonder, in one of the most magnificent battles ever seen by Atlanta’s oldest golf veterans.

RANKS WITH BEST AMERICAN GOLF PLAYERS.