President Harding presents the United States Golf Association's 1921 US Open Trophy
President Harding was like our first golfing President, President Taft a very avid golfer, and quite public about it. Although not a top flight golfer he often found himself in the company of some of the best golfers in his day. Playing matches with 1921 US Open champion Jim Barnes among others. President Harding and Mr. Barnes became quite friendly and the President was not only in attendance when Mr. Barnes won the US Open but presented him with the US Open trophy as well. This simple act of friendship gave Jim Barnes the honor of being the only US Open winner in history to have the President of the United States personally congratulate him as he walked off the 18th green and present him the US Open trophy as well. Another man in attendance, Vice President Coolidge, made the ceremony even more special by making Barnes the only US Open Champion to congratulated by both the President and Vice President of the United States at the trophy presentation ceremony.
Little did these Golf Tournament celebrants
know that
2 years later President Coolidge would become the only
President
of the United States to be sworn in by his father.
An aerial view of Harding Park
Golf Course
San Francisco, California
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