José Jurado
Encyclopedia
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, he was the first Argentine to travel to major international championships and is thus often credited as the “Father of Argentine Professional Golf” or the “Godfather of Argentinean Golf.” He is perhaps best known for his losing stroke to Tommy Armour
Tommy Armour
Thomas Dickson Armour was a Scottish-American professional golfer. He was nicknamed The Silver Scot.Armour was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and educated at Fettes College and the University of Edinburgh....
at the 1931 British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
at Carnoustie
Carnoustie
Carnoustie is a town and former police burgh in the council area of Angus, Scotland. It is situated at the mouth of the Barry Burn on the North Sea coast...
. Jurado was personal friends with the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
, who was reportedly enraged by his double bogey that lost him the championship.
Career
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews
The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews is one of the oldest and most prestigious golf clubs in the world . It is based in St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, and is regarded as the worldwide "Home of Golf"...
. At the age of 21, he won his first of seven championships at the Argentine Open
Argentine Open
The Argentine Open or Abierto de la República or Abierto de Argentina is one of the oldest national golf open championships. First played in 1905, it has featured numerous notable winners including major champions Jimmy Demaret , Lloyd Mangrum , Tom Weiskopf , Craig Stadler , Mark Calcavecchia ,...
, and was also a seven-time winner of the Argentine PGA Championship
Argentine PGA Championship
The Argentine PGA Championship was a golf tournament played in Argentina from 1920 to 2005. It was generally supported by the leading Argentine golfers and its list of champions includes Eduardo Romero , José Jurado , Vicente Fernández , José Cóceres and Ángel Cabrera...
. In 1932, Jurado traveled to the US, justifying these journeys as the only way to progress his skill as a professional golfer. After studying the operations of the American PGA, he undertook the organization of the AAPG (Asociación Argentina de Profesionales de Golf). Jurado also recruited international golf figures to teach Argentine enthusiasts the emerging and popular American-style swing. In 1931 he won an exhibition match against Aubrey Boomer in France. Jurado finished in the top ten in four majors
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
: T8 at the British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
in 1926, T6 in the British Open in 1928, 2nd in the British Open in 1931 and T6 in the U.S. Open
U.S. Open (golf)
The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour...
in 1932.
In literature
Jurado is referenced in The Book of Golfers: A Biographical History of the Royal & Ancient Game, by Daniel Wexler. The book is an encyclopedia of the most important golfers since the 15th century, and in it Jurado is described as “…a golfing pioneer in the truest sense, for while early British professionals ventured out to parts unknown with the psychological might of the world’s biggest empire (both golfing and otherwise) behind them, Jurado traveled thousands of miles to challenge the British golf monolith on its own turf.”Jurado is also referenced in the 2005 biography Sir Walter: Walter Hagen and the Invention of Professional Golf, by Thomas Clavin. The biography details the life and career of Walter Hagen, who won eleven major professional golf tournaments over his career. In the book, Jurado is described as having “demonstrated the tango
Tango (dance)
Tango dance originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata , and spread to the rest of the world soon after....
” to a group of 1933 Ryder Cup
1933 Ryder Cup
The 4th Ryder Cup Matches were held at the Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club in Southport, England.The Great Britain team won the competition by a score of 6½–5½ points. John Henry Taylor became only the second of three Team Great Britain captains to ever lift the Ryder Cup.-Format:The Ryder Cup is...
golfers at a dancehall in Southport, UK. Jurado, who was there for the British Open
The Open Championship
The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico...
, apparently “won the (dance) contest”.
Tournament wins
- this list may be incomplete
- all tournaments in Argentina
- 1920 Argentine OpenArgentine OpenThe Argentine Open or Abierto de la República or Abierto de Argentina is one of the oldest national golf open championships. First played in 1905, it has featured numerous notable winners including major champions Jimmy Demaret , Lloyd Mangrum , Tom Weiskopf , Craig Stadler , Mark Calcavecchia ,...
- 1921 Argentine PGA ChampionshipArgentine PGA ChampionshipThe Argentine PGA Championship was a golf tournament played in Argentina from 1920 to 2005. It was generally supported by the leading Argentine golfers and its list of champions includes Eduardo Romero , José Jurado , Vicente Fernández , José Cóceres and Ángel Cabrera...
- 1922 Argentine PGA ChampionshipArgentine PGA ChampionshipThe Argentine PGA Championship was a golf tournament played in Argentina from 1920 to 2005. It was generally supported by the leading Argentine golfers and its list of champions includes Eduardo Romero , José Jurado , Vicente Fernández , José Cóceres and Ángel Cabrera...
- 1924 Argentine OpenArgentine OpenThe Argentine Open or Abierto de la República or Abierto de Argentina is one of the oldest national golf open championships. First played in 1905, it has featured numerous notable winners including major champions Jimmy Demaret , Lloyd Mangrum , Tom Weiskopf , Craig Stadler , Mark Calcavecchia ,...
, South OpenSouth OpenThe South Open, or Abierto del Sur, is one of the major regional open golf tournaments in Argentina, and is also one of the oldest, having been inaugurated 1918. It has always been held at the Mar del Plata Golf Club in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province... - 1925 Argentine OpenArgentine OpenThe Argentine Open or Abierto de la República or Abierto de Argentina is one of the oldest national golf open championships. First played in 1905, it has featured numerous notable winners including major champions Jimmy Demaret , Lloyd Mangrum , Tom Weiskopf , Craig Stadler , Mark Calcavecchia ,...
, Argentine PGA ChampionshipArgentine PGA ChampionshipThe Argentine PGA Championship was a golf tournament played in Argentina from 1920 to 2005. It was generally supported by the leading Argentine golfers and its list of champions includes Eduardo Romero , José Jurado , Vicente Fernández , José Cóceres and Ángel Cabrera...
, South OpenSouth OpenThe South Open, or Abierto del Sur, is one of the major regional open golf tournaments in Argentina, and is also one of the oldest, having been inaugurated 1918. It has always been held at the Mar del Plata Golf Club in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province... - 1927 Argentine OpenArgentine OpenThe Argentine Open or Abierto de la República or Abierto de Argentina is one of the oldest national golf open championships. First played in 1905, it has featured numerous notable winners including major champions Jimmy Demaret , Lloyd Mangrum , Tom Weiskopf , Craig Stadler , Mark Calcavecchia ,...
, Argentine PGA ChampionshipArgentine PGA ChampionshipThe Argentine PGA Championship was a golf tournament played in Argentina from 1920 to 2005. It was generally supported by the leading Argentine golfers and its list of champions includes Eduardo Romero , José Jurado , Vicente Fernández , José Cóceres and Ángel Cabrera... - 1928 Argentine OpenArgentine OpenThe Argentine Open or Abierto de la República or Abierto de Argentina is one of the oldest national golf open championships. First played in 1905, it has featured numerous notable winners including major champions Jimmy Demaret , Lloyd Mangrum , Tom Weiskopf , Craig Stadler , Mark Calcavecchia ,...
, Argentine PGA ChampionshipArgentine PGA ChampionshipThe Argentine PGA Championship was a golf tournament played in Argentina from 1920 to 2005. It was generally supported by the leading Argentine golfers and its list of champions includes Eduardo Romero , José Jurado , Vicente Fernández , José Cóceres and Ángel Cabrera... - 1929 Argentine OpenArgentine OpenThe Argentine Open or Abierto de la República or Abierto de Argentina is one of the oldest national golf open championships. First played in 1905, it has featured numerous notable winners including major champions Jimmy Demaret , Lloyd Mangrum , Tom Weiskopf , Craig Stadler , Mark Calcavecchia ,...
, Argentine PGA ChampionshipArgentine PGA ChampionshipThe Argentine PGA Championship was a golf tournament played in Argentina from 1920 to 2005. It was generally supported by the leading Argentine golfers and its list of champions includes Eduardo Romero , José Jurado , Vicente Fernández , José Cóceres and Ángel Cabrera...
, Center OpenCenter OpenThe Center Open, or Abierto del Centro, is one of the major regional open golf tournaments in Argentina. Founded in 1927, it has always been held at the Córdoba Golf Club in Córdoba.... - 1931 Argentine OpenArgentine OpenThe Argentine Open or Abierto de la República or Abierto de Argentina is one of the oldest national golf open championships. First played in 1905, it has featured numerous notable winners including major champions Jimmy Demaret , Lloyd Mangrum , Tom Weiskopf , Craig Stadler , Mark Calcavecchia ,...
- 1932 South OpenSouth OpenThe South Open, or Abierto del Sur, is one of the major regional open golf tournaments in Argentina, and is also one of the oldest, having been inaugurated 1918. It has always been held at the Mar del Plata Golf Club in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province...
- 1933 South OpenSouth OpenThe South Open, or Abierto del Sur, is one of the major regional open golf tournaments in Argentina, and is also one of the oldest, having been inaugurated 1918. It has always been held at the Mar del Plata Golf Club in Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province...
- 1936 Center OpenCenter OpenThe Center Open, or Abierto del Centro, is one of the major regional open golf tournaments in Argentina. Founded in 1927, it has always been held at the Córdoba Golf Club in Córdoba....
- 1937 Argentine PGA ChampionshipArgentine PGA ChampionshipThe Argentine PGA Championship was a golf tournament played in Argentina from 1920 to 2005. It was generally supported by the leading Argentine golfers and its list of champions includes Eduardo Romero , José Jurado , Vicente Fernández , José Cóceres and Ángel Cabrera...
- 1938 Palermo Masters
- 1920 Argentine Open
Suggested reading
- The Book of Golfers: A Biographical History of the Royal & Ancient Game, by Daniel Wexler (Ann Arbor Media Group, 2005) ISBN 1587261901, 9781587261909
- Sir Walter: Walter Hagen and the Invention of Professional Golf, by Thomas Clavin (Simon and Schuster, 2005) ISBN 0743204867, 9780743204866