Maryland Golf Hall of Fame Class of 2024: Jesse W. Sweetser

Jesse W. Sweetser was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended Exeter Academy before entering Yale University in 1919. He received golf lessons from noted Siwanoy Country Club professional Tom Kerrigan.  At both schools, he participated in what was considered a “major” sport, track, and a “minor” sport, golf, but he truly excelled in the latter. As a Yale freshman in 1920, Sweetser took the National Intercollegiate Championship (precursor to the NCAA) at the Greenwich Country Club and was runner-up the following year.  As a teenager, he played in the US Open in 1921, finishing in eleventh place. He followed that by winning the Metropolitan Amateur Championship in 1922 while a junior at Yale and won again in 1925.

Sweetser won the 1922 U.S. Amateur at the age of 20, defeating Bobby Jones 8 & 7 in the semi-final and then Chick Evans 3 & 2 in the final match.  The following year, he again made the finals but lost on the second playoff hole to Max R. Marston.

In 1926, Sweetser won the British Amateur at Muirfield, defeating A.F. Simpson 6 & 5 in the final match. The 1904 winner, Walter Travis, was a naturalized American citizen born in Australia, but Sweetser's victory was the first time an American-born golfer had won the tournament.

Sweetser was a member of the original Walker Cup team in 1922 and played in 1923, 1924, 1926, 1928, and 1932. Later, he was non-playing captain for the 1967 and 1973 teams.  He was also captain of the 1966 U.S. Eisenhower Trophy team.

In his business career Sweetser was ultimately recruited to what is now known as Martin Marietta Corporation and relocated to Maryland.  Jess lived adjacent to and was a member of Green Spring Valley Hunt Club, where he played frequently with fellow Walker Cup teammate Roland MacKenzie.  He was also a 40-year member of Burning Tree Club. The Club has two portraits in its clubhouse: Gene Sarazen and Jess Sweetser.  He gifted his British Amateur trophy to the USGA and his US Amateur trophy to Burning Tree.

Jesse Sweetser served as treasurer and on the executive committee of the United States Golf Association (USGA). In 1986, he was presented the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the USGA in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf.