Tony Jacklin is pictured above in 1973.
1960s: Victory at the Open in 1969.
Tony Jacklin started out his golfing life as a 17 year old assistant pro
to Bill Shankland at Potters Bar,Herts in 1961 and the following year
saw him joining the paid ranks. He won his first tournament in 1965,when
lifting the Gore-Ray Assistants Championship,but 1967 was the year when
he really shot to prominence. He lifted the Pringle Tournament,the
prestigious Dunlop Masters and in the Open he finished in a highly
respectable fifth place,seven strokes behind winner Roberto de Vicenzo.
Jacklin was selected for his first Ryder Cup in 1967 and performed
creditably enough with two and a half points from six as the Great
Britain team were soundly beaten 23 1/2-8 1/2. Not content with winning
on the European tour Jacklin set out to prove himself the following year
on the other side of the Atlantic. It was not long before he won the
Jacksonville Open Invitational and in doing so he became the first
Briton to win on the US Tour.
In 1969 Tony Jacklin became a national
hero when he lifted the Open Championship at Royal Lytham &
St.Annes. His four under par total was enough to give him victory by two
strokes from Australian Bob Charles and he became the first home-grown
winner since Max Faulkner 18 years previously. Buoyed by that success
Jacklin performed quite brilliantly in that year's Ryder Cup as the two
teams fought out a thrilling 16-16 draw. After taking 3 1/2 points from a
possible four in the first two days,the Open Champion then handed the
great Jack Nicklaus a 4&3 beating in the last day morning singles
and followed that up with a vital half against the same player in the
last match of the afternoon singles. (David Scranage)
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1970-72. US Open success in 1970 & agony at '72 Open
His confidence still sky high after his Open triumph and Ryder Cup
heroics of 1969,Tony Jacklin travelled to the Hazeltine National course
in Minnesota for the US Open looking for his second major. He opened the
tournament with a fine 71 in wet,windy conditions to be two strokes
ahead of Julis Boros whilst the likes of Palmer,Player and Nicklaus were
all but out of contention after shooting 79,80 & 81 respectively.
The next two rounds produced a pair of 70's to leave the Englishman four
clear of his nearest rival Dave Hill and a further 70 in the final
round saw Jacklin the winner by seven clear strokes. In doing so he
became the first Englishman since Ted Ray way back in 1920 to win the
event and his seven stroke victory was the biggest winning margin for 49
years.
Jacklin continued his rich vein of form into the Open at St.
Andrews but he had to settle for a tie for third place,three strokes
behind Jack Nicklaus and Doug Sanders who went into a play-off. The
following year also saw a third place finish,this time behind Lee
Trevino and Lu Liang-Huan. The popular Englishman was back in contention
once more at the 1972 Open in Muirfield where his opening rounds of 69
and 72 saw him level with Trevino. The third round was,perhaps,the
turning point as the little Mexican finished with five consecutive
birdies to card a 66 compared to Jacklin's 67,even though Tony had
played the better golf that day. Going up the 17th on the final day the
two men were all square and when Trevino was through the green in four
shots,whilst Jacklin was 15 feet short of the hole in three,a second
claret jug was within touching distance. It was not to be,however,as
Trevino remarkably holed out and the nervy Jacklin three putted. Many
felt this was the moment that finished Tony Jacklin as a world class
golfer and it is fair to say that he never challenged for a major again.
(David Scranage)
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This image of Tony Jacklin was taken on 15th. May 1980 at the European PGA Champioship.
Photo George herringshaw. ©
1973-82. Last tour victory at '81 British PGA.
After the massive disappointment of the 1972 Open Tony Jacklin proved
that he was still Europe's top man by winning the Italian Open and the
Dunlop Masters on his way to topping the 1973 European Order of Merit
with a total of £24,839. Later that year he also performed well in the
Ryder Cup gaining 3 1/2 points from a possible six in a 19-13 defeat at
the hands of the Americans. The next few years brought a handful of
victories such as the Scandinavian Enterprise Open and Los Lagartos Open
in 1974,the Kerrygold International Classic in 1976 and the German and
Venezuelan Opens of 1979. There was no doubt,however,that the Jacklin
fire was not burning quite so brightly and after his second place finish
in the 1974 Order of Merit his next best effort was 10th in 1979. He
did make the Ryder Cup teams of 1975 & '77 and was also a member of
the first ever European team in 1979 in what proved to be his last Cup
appearance. Jacklin's record of 13 wins,14 losses and 8 halves in seven
successive appearances between 1967-79 was no bad effort in a period of
total American domination. Jacklin lifted the 1981 Jersey Open and he
then surprised many by winning the much sought after British PGA
Championship the following year. That was to be Jacklin's last tour
victory but he could look back on his achievements as a double major
winner with great pride. There was every reason to look forward with
excitement,however,as another wonderful chapter was ready to unfold in
the golfing life of Tony Jacklin in the shape of the Ryder Cup
captaincy. (David Scranage)
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Tony Jacklin proudly holds aloft The Ryder Cup at The Belfry.
Photo George Herringshaw. ©
With his career as a top tour player seemingly behind him Tony Jacklin
took on the role of Ryder Cup captain for the 1983 match at the PGA
National in Florida and all but led his team to a shock victory. With
the likes of Severiano Ballesteros,Sandy Lyle,Nick Faldo,Bernhard Langer
and youngster Paul Way for Jacklin to choose from it was fair to say
that this was the strongest team the Americans had come up against for
many a year. After two days the teams were inseperable at eight points
apiece and in a last day of high drama the Americans squeezed home by
the tightest of margins at 14 1/2-13 1/2. Two years later Jacklin gained
revenge when he led his men to a comprehensive 16 1/2-11 1/2 triumph at
the Belfry in what was the American's first defeat for 28 years. The
Europeans had trailed after the first morning foursomes 3-1 but by the
end of day two they had nosed ahead by nine points to seven.
On the
final day they were not to be denied and Sam Torrance's victory against
Andy North secured victory. A proud Jacklin held the Cup aloft (see photo above)
and the celebrations began! Not content with that victory Tony
masterminded the first ever win on American soil as the Europeans
triumphed 15-13 two years later. At the end of play on day two Jacklin's
side held a commanding 10 1/2-5 1/2 lead and despite an American charge
on the final day it was all to late and the cup remained with the
Europeans. Tony was persuaded to carry on his captaincy duties two years
later and he oversaw a 14-14 draw which meant that the cup was once
more retained. The Ryder Cup is now one of the most eagerly awaited and
tightly contested events not just in golf but in the whole of sport and
Tony Jacklin can be rightly proud of his part in that. (David Scranage)
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