Jesse William Sweetser

Jesse William Sweetser (April 18, 1902 – May 27, 1989) was an amateur golfer, best known as the first American-born player to win the British Amateur.

Early life and college career In 1902, Sweetser was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He later attended Phillips Exeter Academy. He was a member of the Yale Bulldogs golf team. In 1920, Sweetser won the individual title at the NCAA Division I Men's Golf Championships. While at Yale, Sweetser regularly played the U.S. Amateur. He played the 1922 U.S. Amateur at the age of 20, defeating Bobby Jones, 8 and 7, in the semi-final and then Chick Evans, 3 and 2, in the final match. The following year, at the 1923 U.S. Amateur, he again made it to the finals again but lost on the second playoff hole to Max Marston. He also played on the original Walker Cup team in 1922.

Golf career In his professional life, Sweetser started work as a stockbroker in the 1920s, and later went to work for Curtiss-Wright. alt=A sketch of a white male golfer in multiple poses Death Sweetser died on May 27, 1989, in Bethesda, Maryland.

Major championships Wins (2) YearChampionshipWinning scoreRunner-up 1922 U.S. Amateur 3 & 2 Chick Evans 1926 British Amateur 6 & 5 Fred Simpson

Results timeline Sweetser played in the Masters each year from 1952 to 1955 but withdrew on each occasion.

NYF = Tournament not yet founded NT = No tournament DNQ = Did not qualify for match play portion R128, R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in match play

Source for The Masters: www.masters.com

Source for U.S. Open and U.S. Amateur: USGA Championship Database

Source for 1923 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July, 1923, pg. 10.

Source for 1926 British Amateur: The American Golfer, July, 1926, pg. 9.

U.S. national team appearances Amateur Walker Cup: 1922 (winners), 1923 (winners), 1924 (winners), 1926 (winners), 1928 (winners), 1932 (winners), 1967 (winners, non-playing captain), 1973 (winners, non-playing captain)