1933 Motion Picture Golf Tournament Medal Presented to Bobby Jones....

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One of the very first celebrity golf tournaments!

1933 Motion Picture Golf Tournament Medal Presented to Bobby Jones. His fabled Augusta National Golf Club was just weeks old when the legendary linksman was coaxed to the opposite edge of the continent to participate in a star-studded celebrity tournament in the Agua Caliente section of Tijuana, Mexico. We're aware of no earlier tournament pairing professional golfers with actors, so this could be considered a seminal artifact of that enduring tradition. Jones' teammates for this event were Lester De Line, David Sutherland and Orville Stewart. The Associated Press articles reported the following on February 25, 1933:

"Bobby Jones played the long Agua Caliente golf course in 73, one over par, today to lead the contestants in the motion picture tournament. It was the first time Jones had played in a tournament since he relinquished his amateur standing after winning the British and American Open and Amateur championships in one season. Jones paired with George Marshall, who is directing his pictures for Warner Bros, studio, against Leo Diegel, the home pro, and Frank Craven, writer, Marshall took an 82, Craven 86, and Diegel 74. Jones' score counted on his studio's team. Eddie Quillan, film comedian, shot a 77, the lowest for an actor in the first 18 holes."

An enamelled seal of the "Agua Caliente Golf Club" adorns obverse of this Depression-era treasure, while verso is artfully engraved with the pertinent details: "Motion Picture Tournament, Won by Warner Brothers Team, Robert Tyre Jones, Jr., Feb 25-26th - 1933." Maker's mark at bottom edge. Diameter 1.5". Weight thirteen grams (13 g.). Metal tests as non-precious.

Bobby Jones awards are quite rare and highly prized, with Heritage posting results in excess of $30,000 in past sales. This intriguing example, with its elite vintage and connection to Hollywood glamor, is a particularly intriguing example thereof.