Ohio Golf Journal March 2020

Bobby Jones Family Partners with Chiari Syringomyelia Foundation I f Bobby Jones would have had his way, he would have been remembered for being the only man in history to win golf’s Grand Slam. This year, 2020 marks the 90th anniversary of that Grand feat. When his playing days were over, Jones became an accomplished attorney, co-founded Augusta National Golf Club and annually hosted The Masters at that iconic club. It seems unfathomable that someone with the immense athletic talent to succeed on the highest level could have those abilities stripped from him by a debilitating disease, like Syringomelia. Jones was a very private man, who neither sought fame, nor patronization, he simply wished for a normal life apart from the specter of public celebrity. In the latter half of his life, however, he was confronted with this devastating disease that attacks the nervous system. He acquired syringomyelia in a freak accident during a thunderstorm in 1929. The symptoms first became noticeable in 1948 and were diagnosed in 1950. Over the ensuing years, he progressed from using leg braces, to a cane, a walker, and then a wheelchair, before finally, being confined to bed. As his condition deteriorated, his physical symptoms became too much to hide. Yet, even in the face of increasing disability, he continued to carry on with the normal activities of life. As he often said, “In life, as in golf, you play the ball where you find it.” Recognized as the best golfer of his generation and the consummate sportsman, he earned a huge following of fans on both sides of the Atlantic. His courage, humor, attitude and grace, while battling with this unbeatable foe, only added to his legend. Jones succumbed to the disease in 1971, leaving behind a legacy of excellence, honor, and integrity, that remains unmatched to this day. The Bobby Jones Family has protected that legacy and is proud to announce a new partnership with the Chiari Syringomyelia Foundation, now known as The Bobby Jones Chiari & Syringomyelia Foundation. With every person the foundation touches, the legacy of Bobby Jones lives on. By: Bob Jones IV Ohio Golf Journal