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Born
on 7th July, 1944 in Scunthorpe, Tony Jacklin came from a working
class family. He trained as a steel worker, but it was evident from
an early age that his real passion was for golf.
He
played at lunchtimes and in the evening and was spotted at the golf
club by a local solicitor who offered him a job. This was a fantastic
offer as the company allowed him to take every afternoon off to
practice his golf.
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| Tony
Jacklin at the PGA Champoinship |
In
1962 Jacklin turned professional and seven years later won the Open
- the first British player to win in 18 years. In
itself this was a fantastic achievement, but the following year
he won the US Open and became the first player to hold both titles
at the same time.
Tony
was the first Briton to win the US Open for over 70 years. He gained
a place in the heart of the nation and also an O.B.E. for his efforts.
For
many however, Jacklin's ultimate achievement was still to come.
In 1985 he captained the team that brought the Ryder Cup back to
Europe after a 28 year absence. Two years later he led the Europeans
to victory again, this time on American soil - a first for the European
team.
Tony
now lives in the United States where he competes in the US Seniors
Tour as well as spending time on some of his other hobbies which
include hunting, fishing and marquetry.
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