Upset at Oakmont - by Steven Schlossman & Kari Thomas

About the Book

"In 1919, at Oakmont Country Club, seventeen-year-old Bobby Jones fought his way to the finals for a chance to make history as the youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur Championship. Standing in his way was twenty-one-year-old Dave Herron, a Pittsburgh native and former Oakmont caddie. Despite his relatively unknown status and to the shock of many, Dave beat Bobby with the most spectacular golf-under par at Oakmont--in U.S. Amateur history. Upset at Oakmont is a dual biography of two gifted child athletes in early twentieth-century America. One, in the 1920s, would become as famous as Babe Ruth; the other would be quickly forgotten and his victory forever tarnished. Both children of affluence, their pathways to the 1919 U.S. Amateur were starkly different because of their differing dispositions, their parents, the impact of place ("New South" Atlanta vs. Steel-City Pittsburgh), and the timing of World War I in shaping their adolescence. Rigorously researched, Upset at Oakmont adds new dimension to understanding the revolution in American golf that started with Francis Ouimet's victory at Brookline in 1913. Employing new statistical data to challenge previous narratives, this book recreates the epic clash between Jones and Herron in exciting detail, while employing novel empirical methods to advance scholarship on the "Golden Era" of American amateur golf"--

Book Synopsis

In 1919, at Oakmont Country Club, seventeen-year-old Bobby Jones fought his way to the finals for a chance to make history as the youngest winner of the U.S. Amateur Championship. Standing in his way was twenty-one-year-old Dave Herron, a Pittsburgh native and former Oakmont caddie. Despite his relatively unknown status and to the shock of many, Dave beat Bobby with the most spectacular golf--under par at Oakmont--in U.S. Amateur history.

Upset at Oakmont is a dual biography of two gifted child athletes in early twentieth-century America. One, in the 1920s, would become as famous as Babe Ruth; the other would be quickly forgotten and his victory forever tarnished. Although both golfers were children of affluence, their pathways to the 1919 U.S. Amateur were starkly different because of their differing dispositions, their parents, the impact of place ("New South" Atlanta vs. Steel-City Pittsburgh), and the timing of World War I in shaping their adolescence.

Rigorously researched, Upset at Oakmont adds new dimension to understanding the revolution in American golf that started with Francis Ouimet's victory at Brookline in 1913. Employing new statistical data to challenge previous narratives, this book re-creates the epic clash between Jones and Herron in exciting detail, while employing novel empirical methods to advance scholarship on the "Golden Era" of American amateur golf.

Review Quotes

A scholarly, readable account of one of championship golf's great upsets on one of golf's great golf courses. Upset at Oakmont deserves an A+.--David Fay "Executive Director of the USGA, 1989-2010"

In Upset at Oakmont, Steven Schlossman and Kari Thomas set the record straight on one of the most controversial championships in USGA history. By mining data in hundreds of newspaper accounts from 1919, the authors peel away long-held myths about a stolen crown, revealing the extraordinary triumph of Dave Herron and deepening our understanding of Bob Jones, Jr., arguably the greatest competitive golfer who ever lived. More than that, Upset at Oakmont is a compelling, captivating story that transports readers back in time to the dawn of the Golden Age of American Sports.--Steven Lowe "author of Sir Walter and Mr. Jones"

Upset at Oakmont is an enlightening book that wonderfully examines the rise and failures of a young Bobby Jones, the relatively unknown story of Davy Herron, the demanding links of Oakmont, and the club's first national championship. Schlossman and Thomas do a magnificent job of weaving all of these characters and storylines together into a joyful read that any golf history lover will enjoy!--David Moore "Oakmont historian and author of Battling the Church Pews: The History of Golf's Premier Events in Western Pennsylvania"

A most welcome addition to the library of golf history.--Rand Jerris, PhD "award-winning author of The Prairie Raynor and Golf's Golden Age"

A fascinating, well-written, and vital contribution to the history of golf.--Ron Rapoport "author of The Immortal Bobby: Bobby Jones and the Golden Age of Golf"

About the Author

Steven Schlossman (Author)
STEVEN SCHLOSSMAN is a professor of history and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University. He is the author of two books: Chasing Greatness: Johnny Miller, Arnold Palmer, and the Miracle at Oakmont and Transforming Juvenile Justice: Reform Ideals and Institutional Realities, 1825-1920. His writing on golf has also appeared in The Golf, Pittsburgh Quarterly, Journal of the Golf Heritage Society, Through the Green, and Western Pennsylvania History.

Kari Thomas (Author)
KARI THOMAS is a PhD student at Carnegie Mellon University. She has coauthored, with Schlossman, several articles including "'Bullet Proof' Tiger Woods' 2000 U.S. Open" and "Summer School: Michelle Wie v. Yani Tseng at the 2004 Women's Amateur Public Links Championship," both in The Golf, and "The Young Americans" in Through the Green.