John Jacobs

Who is John Jacobs?

John R. M. Jacobs OBE is an English professional golfer, coach, entrepreneur, writer and administrator. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000. He is an Honorary member of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St Andrews.

Jacobs was born in Lindrick, Yorkshire. He was the son of a golf professional and had a moderately successful tournament career at home and abroad n the pre-European Tour era. He won both the Dutch Open and the South African Professional Match Play Championship in 1957, two years after making his one appearance in the Ryder Cup.

He was largely responsible for the creation of the European Tour due to his coaching activities and contacts in so many European countries.

He served as Tournament Director-General of the European Tour from 1971 to 1975, a period which included the inaugural season of the modern tour in 1972. In 1979 and 1981 he was the non-playing captain of the European Ryder Cup team which was remembered for a dispute between Seve Ballesteros and the European Tour. Ballesteros had only played a handful of tournaments in Europe in the season leading up to the 1981 Ryder Cup because of a disagreement over appearance money.