Bob MacDonald (golfer)

The 1915 U.S. Open was the 21st U.S. Open, held 17–18 June at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, west of New York City. Four-time U.S. Amateur champion Jerome Travers captured his only U.S. Open title, one stroke ahead of runner-up Tom McNamara. The championship was played on the original course at Baltusrol, now known as the Old Course, which no longer exists.[3]

MacDonald played very well in the event. He scored with rounds of 72-77-73-78=300 and finished in third place, winning $150 in prize money.[3]

The 1919 PGA Championship was the second PGA Championship, contested from 16–20 September at the Engineers Country Club in Roslyn Harbor, New York.[4] In his opening 36-hole match MacDonald slipped past Tom Boyd by the slim margin of 1 up. His play in the next match, against George Fotheringham, was more convincing when he was victorious 2 and 1. He rode that momentum into his third match against a much better opponent, Jock Hutchison, but still managed to win 3 and 2. He found himself in the semi-finals against Jim Barnes and finally succumbed by the score of 5 and 4, finishing the tournament tied for third place.[5][6][7]

MacDonald was posted as professional at a number of clubs in the Chicago area, including Evanston, Edgewater, and Indian Hill Club.[8] He coached legendary golfers Gene Sarazen, Horton Smith and Babe Zaharias.[2][9] His book, Golf, published in 1927, was a classic in the late 1920s.[2] In the book's preface he wrote, "It is probably beyond argument that the golf stroke, apart from the putt, is the most highly technical method of hitting a ball in the whole realm of sport".[10]

He opened in 1918, with Jock Hutchison as partner, the first indoor golf facility in Chicago. The facility was later enlarged to cover 20,000 square feet by 1926.[1]