Inducted, 1991

In his day, George Von Elm joined the legendary Bobby Jones among the elite players in golf. The Salt Lake City native's crowning achievement came in 1926, when he defeated Jones 2 and 1 in the finals of the U.S. Amateur Championship at Baltusrol in New Jersey. At the time the U.S. Amateur was considered at least as prestigious as the U.S. Open.

Von Elm was known for his confidence and toughness under pressure, which was illustrated by his history of matches against Jones. While he also had outstanding results in stroke play events, Von Elm was at his best in match play tournaments, convinced that his game would hold up against anyone's-including Jones'. He once acknowledged being mildly overwhelmed by Jones in losing to him in the U.S. Amateur finals in 1924 and the semifinals the next year; but was determined to reverse the outcome in their next meeting. "I made up my mind I was going to stop that," he told his younger brother, Roy.

No other golfer had defeated Jones after having lost to him, but Von Elm overcame Jones' intimidating presence to become the only winner of the U.S. Amateur other than Jones in a five-year span. The two golfers became and remained close friends.

The consistent play of Von Elm and Jones in major tournaments in the mid 1920s caused one columnist to observe, "George and Bobby are unquestionably the two greatest shotmakers in the game; they are in a class by themselves."

Later, Von Elm found another way to enter the history books, losing a remarkable 72-hole playoff for the 1931 U.S. Open title at Inverness in Ohio. Von Elm tied with Billy Burke through the regulation 72 holes, resulting in the standard 36-hole playoff. When they remained tied, they settled the issue with another 36-hole playoff, with Burke finally prevailing by one stroke.

Competing favorably with the likes of Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Tommy Armour, Francis Oiumet, Craig Wood and other premier players of the era, Von Elm registered good finishes in other U.S. Opens and the British Open.

Born in 1901, Von Elm grew up playing the present Forest Dale Golf Course. A quarterback at West High School, he also attended the University of Utah before moving on to a business career in insurance and investments. He won his first Utah State Amateur Championship at age 16 and added two other titles before moving to the national level, and also claimed victories in several other state and regional amateur tournaments. Three times, Von Elm represented the United States in Walker Cup competitions.
Von Elm played with hickory-shafted golf clubs, requiring precise contact with the ball. Chances are, he would be shocked by advances in today's equipment. Before his death from cancer in 1961, he complained that changes in clubs were "ruining the game" by helping to straighten poorly-struck shots.