​An enduring bond binds the members of Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club, both past and present, with the Georgian golfer Robert Tyre Jones, Jr. It was at St Annes that Jones etched his name into golf’s world stage by winning his first Open Championship in 1926, a victory that heralded his emergence on the global golfing scene. He achieved this triumph by executing one of the most famous single shots in the history of the sport, a moment that marked a turning point in his career from failure to international success. It was also here that he identified the very location of his celebrated “immortal shot,” and a plaque— the first to be placed on a golf course anywhere in the world to commemorate a single shot—was embedded to honor that feat.
When the legendary amateur captured his first British Open title at Royal Lytham & St Annes, he sparked a run unique in championship golf. This victory began a remarkable sequence in which he entered 14 championships and won 10, finishing second in two of the remaining four. It was after his 1926 triumph that the seeds of the idea to win all four majors in a single year first took root. Jones confided this dream only to his close friend, American sportswriter Al Laney, urging secrecy. He did not share it with his wife, Mary, or with his fellow traveler and scribe O.B. Keeler. He believed the opportunity could present itself in 1930, should the moment arise.
Jones felt that predestination played some part in the outcomes of championships, sensing that the winner’s identity might be determined before the event began. He also believed there was a destiny waiting for him, though whether he would be able to fulfill it remained to be seen. While predestination may have pointed to an Open victory in 1926, other events in the weeks and days leading up to the tournament could easily have altered the course of history and prevented his triumph.
Across the Atlantic, a different drama unfolded as Americans surged to the forefront. Detroit’s Al Watrous, who was two strokes ahead of Bobby Jones on the final round, faced the reality that Jones had withdrawn in his only previous Open appearance in 1921. As Jones and the U.S. Walker Cup team traveled aboard the S.S. Aquitania, frantic telegraph messages traveled in both directions, attempting to anticipate what lay ahead. Back home, Great Britain confronted a general strike stemming from coal-mine owners demanding reduced wages and longer hours for miners. Workers across industries and the Trades Union Congress joined in a nationwide stoppage, with calls for solidarity beginning May 3. The strike raised serious questions about the feasibility of staging the Amateur Championship at Muirfield, the Walker Cup at St Andrews, and the Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, creating an atmosphere of uncertainty that accompanied Jones on his historic journey.