Upset at Oakmont: Dave Herron Beats Bobby Jones, 1919 U.S. Amateur | University of Georgia Press

Overview

Upset at Oakmont reexamines a watershed moment in American golf through the lens of two gifted young competitors and the match that defined an era. In 1919 at Oakmont Country Club, seventeen-year-old Bobby Jones pushed toward the finals in a bid to become the youngest U.S. Amateur champion. Opposing him was twenty-one-year-old Dave Herron, a Pittsburgh native and former Oakmont caddie, whose under par performance at Oakmont captured the imagination of spectators and left a lasting impression on the tournament’s history.

Two lives, one watershed moment

The book renders a dual biography of two athletes whose trajectories reflect a transforming America. One would rise to fame on a scale rivaling Babe Ruth; the other would fade from the limelight, its triumph tucked into memory. Though both came from affluence, their paths to Oakmont’s finals diverged because of temperament, family influence, regional identity, and the shaping force of World War I on their adolescence.

Rigorous research and fresh statistical data illuminate the era, offering a detailed reconstruction of the 1919 clash while situating it within golf’s Golden Era. The author uses novel empirical methods to challenge older narratives and to broaden the historical picture, particularly in relation to Francis Ouimet’s 1913 breakthrough.

What you’ll gain

• New context for the 1919 Oakmont match and the evolution of American amateur golf.
• Vivid scenes that transport readers to a pre-television era with course specifics, crowd energy, and playersrame of mind.
• A data-informed perspective that invites readers to consider how statistics shape historical storytelling.
• Insights into the social and regional dynamics of New South Atlanta and Steel City Pittsburgh during this period.

Audience and use cases

This volume appeals to readers who enjoy golf history, biographies, and cultural history of the early 20th century. It also serves as a resource for scholars and students studying the period or the development of amateur golf.

• Ideal for personal reading, book clubs, or course syllabi focused on sport, American culture, or data-driven history.
• Helpful for researchers exploring the Golden Era of amateur golf and its key figures.