Tony Jacklin

Tony Jacklin was born on July 7, 1944 in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, England. He joined 22 European Tours and won 4 times in the PGA Tour. His wins include the 1970 U.S. Open and the 1969 British Open.

Being born to a working class family he worked at an early age as an apprentice steelmaker. But this did not stop his passion in golf and did not stop him to become a good player. It paid off when he won his first prestigious junior tournament. He quickly became a professional at 17.
Jacklin’s playing career was described as brief but memorable. Though he did not maintain his top position for a longer time but he became a national hero in Great Britain. In 1968 to 1972 he was the biggest star in golf.

In 1962, Tony was awarded rookie of the year in the British Pro Circuit. After two years he won is first professional event and by 1968 his career started to skyrocket. He was the first British player to win PGA Tours. He eventually claimed the championship title in the British Open in 1969 and the U.S. Open 1970.

Jacklin is best remembered in his involvement in the Ryder Cup. He played both for Great Britain and Ireland team in 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975 and 1977. He was also a member of the first European Team in 1979. Unfortunately, all the games his team played lost except for a tie in 1969. His sports record garnered a 2.5 to 1.5 wins after he captained his team to their first victory in 1985 and another victory 1987.

Tony was inducted into the 2002 World Golf Hall of Fame and after two years, at the age of sixty, retired from playing golf.