Obituaries: Jacobs and Horton. The end of an era
Sadly, the world said a final farewell to two of Europe’s golfing greats in 2017: John Jacobs OBE and Tommy Horton MBE. Their passing marks a poignant end to an era in which the European Tour has flourished beyond belief. The 46 tournaments in 29 countries across four continents featured on the Tour’s schedule for 2018 is a far cry from the golf scene enjoyed by professional players like Jacobs and Horton in the Sixties. In their different ways, both of these fine golfers played an important role in creating the prosperous professional circuit that we know today.
John Jacobs – A timeless passion for the game
Yorkshireman John Jacobs was “The founding father of the European Tour”, as he was so proudly and affectionately referred to in many of the condolence messages that flooded in from around the world upon hearing the news of his passing on 13th January at the grand age of 91.
I had the pleasure of meeting this wise golf phenomenon on two occasions. And I’m happy to say that he was the same true gentleman with a timeless passion for the game in real life as he was portrayed on television and in his many instructional films. ‘Doctor Golf’, as he became known, was pure inspiration!
In order to find out more about John Jacobs, the young golfer, before he became well-known as the golf guru and course designer, I decided to delve into my golf library. There I found this interesting entry in ‘The Encyclopaedia of Golf’, a lovely edition published by Viking Press in 1975, about John Robert Maurice Jacobs:
“A regular British tournament player for many years whose best achievements were his victory over Gary Player in the 1957 Dunlop South African Match Play Masters final by 2 and 1, and his Ryder Cup performance in 1955 at Palm Springs. Jacobs and Johnny Fallon won the top foursome for Britain, and in the singles he beat Cary Middlecoff, US Masters Champion at the time, by 1 hole. This was a unique performance by a British player in his first match in America, and one that made it surprising that he never played again. It was also surprising that Jacobs never won a major tournament in Britain, though he often came close to it.”
Golden year for Yorkshireman
In fact, 1957 was a golden year for Jacobs. He also won the Dutch Open that season. Although he only represented Great Britain once in the Ryder Cup, he did have the honour of becoming captain of the European Ryder Cup team more than twenty years later in 1979 and 1981.
Son of the club professional at Lindrick Golf Club, John Jacobs grew up around the game dedicating his whole life to golf in one way or another. For much of his professional career he was a highly-respected golf teacher with a series of philosophies based upon ball flight, clubface alignment and swing path. Indeed, he wrote the PGA’s first training manual, published books on the subject and made some of the first golf instructional films as well as television programmes.
Golf courses on Mars!
As coach to a number of international sides, victory was sweet for Jacobs with the British Walker Cup team of 1971. Later that year, he was appointed tournament director of the British PGA, as it was then known. He was responsible for injecting new life and wealth into the professional circuit. A battle which he had begun back in 1954 when he had sown the seeds for a more organised and better-paid tournament scene. They were revolutionary ideas at the time which culminated in the setting up of the European Tour.
It’s incredible to realise that, back in 1971, total prizemoney on the European Tour did not even amount to the equivalent of one million euros when it was first started with the help of Jacobs. Nowadays the Tour is flourishing with annual prize funds totalling around 175 million euros!
In an interview with the European Tour a few years ago, Jacobs pontificated on how the European Tour might look in 30-40 years’ time: “Well, we’ll probably have a couple of courses on Mars by then, won’t we?”, said the Ryder Cup player turned course designer. “Anyway, I’ll be a divot by then. I’ll send you a message.”
A tribute to ‘last green Horton’
Tommy Horton was another of golf’s colourful characters who will be sadly missed. The European Senior Tour legend died at his home in Jersey on 7th December, aged 76.
Born in St Helens, Merseyside, on 16th June 1941, he moved to Jersey in 1945 where he was brought up and educated. Horton was a mainstay of the European professional circuit in the 1960’s, 1970’s and 1980’s, winning eight titles – including four times after the formation of the European Tour in 1972. He recorded four top-10 finishes in The Open Championship, including a share of fourth place at Royal Birkdale in 1976.
It is fascinating to read about Horton in ‘The Encyclopaedia of Golf’. In the edition published by Viking Press in 1975, they refer to Tommy Horton as being “extremely unlucky never to have gained a Ryder Cup place”. Well, I’m pleased to say that the authors were wrong. Horton made his Ryder Cup debut later that year at Laurel Valley GC in Pennsylvania. It was a tough first appearance for the 34-year old Jersey player as he was drawn against the likes of Lee Trevino and Jack Nicklaus the first two days. In the singles he secured his first half point against Hale Irwin in the morning followed by victory over L. Graham in the afternoon. The score: GB 11 – 21 USA. Two years later in 1977, Horton played in the Ryder Cup for the second time at Royal Lytham St Anne’s.
Prolific winner on Senior Tour
Horton’s golf career knew no bounds. Later in life he went on to enjoy huge success on the Senior Tour. He won an incredible 23 times as a Senior, which stood as a record until Carl Mason surpassed that benchmark at the OKI Open de España Senior by Cleveland/ Srixon in 2011.
He was called “Last green Horton” by many. A nick-name cherished by Horton. It referred to his canny and frequent ability to hole a monster-putt on the final green when it really mattered.
Poignantly, Tommy Horton died on Thursday night, the 7th December 2017, on the eve of the European Senior Tour’s season-ending MCB Tour Championship. The winner of the John Jacobs Trophy is traditionally crowned at the end of this tournament in Mauritius.
Horton’s outstanding achievement of winning the Senior Tour Order of Merit five times remains a record to this day. Interestingly, he won four of his John Jacobs Trophies in consecutive years from 1996-1999. His first was in 1993.
“Tommy was an absolute rock at the Tour’s annual graduate training week and a wizard with his short game, passing on his extensive knowledge to benefit countless other players.”
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of the European Tour (2005 to 2015)
Keith Pelly, Chief Executive of the European Tour, speaks highly of the Jersey professional: “Tommy Horton was an incredibly influential and respected figure in the world of golf, as a wonderful player and coach and as someone who was central to the development of the European Tour and the European Senior Tour.
“After the passing of John Jacobs in January, we have lost two of the true gentlemen of the game in 2017.”
Keith Pelly, Chief Executive, European Tour
And so say all of us. Rest in peace, Gentlemen.
Wendy Hoad
John Jacobs OBE
14 March 1925 – 13 January 2017
Tommy Horton MBE
16 June 1941 – 7 December 2017
BE INSPIRED by these two golfing greats … Read more about JOHN JACOBS. Read more about TOMMY HORTON
PHOTOS: John Jacobs (Golfing World/Twitter); John Jacobs, courtesy of ‘The Encyclopaedia of Golf’ published by Viking Press; and Tommy Horton (BBC).