London, England: European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley has led the tributes to the late John Jacobs, one of the most influential coaches in the history of the modern game.
Jacobs, regarded as the Founding Father of the European Tour and a two-time Ryder Cup captain, has passed away at the age of 91.
Jacobs will be remembered for the huge influence he had on European golf, as a player, an innovative coach and as a driving force behind the formation of the European Tour.
A former professional player of note, Jacobs played in the 1955 Ryder Cup in California, and was Ryder Cup captain in 1979 and 1981 – significantly the first two events to feature a continental European Team.
His influence on other players was perhaps even more profound through his revered teaching, with his methods shaping the games of golfers across the globe through his coaching schools, best-selling books, videos and television series.
Jacobs revolutionised coaching, teaching golfer the fundamentals of the game through his innovative philosophies based on ball flight, club face alignment and swing path.
Following his death, tributes flooded in across the sporting world, including his successors in the European Tour hot seat.
Pelley said: “This is an extremely sad day for everyone connected with the European Tour and our thoughts and prayers go out to John’s family and his many friends across the world of golf.
“It is an honour to hold the role as the fourth Chief Executive in the history of the European Tour and I never felt that more than when I had the privilege to spend several hours with John at his beautiful home in the New Forest last year.
“His memory for the details around the creation of the Tour were incredible and, quite simply, without his vision and determination, the European Tour we know today wouldn’t exist. He was an esteemed businessman and a world-renowned golf coach but above all that, a true gentleman. There was no-one like him and he will be sadly missed.”
Ken Schofield, Executive Director of the European Tour from 1975 to 2005, said: “Quite simply he was a great man – a giant in the game of golf. A champion and a Ryder Cup player in his own right, but he will be defined as one of the great coaches of our time – through his teaching of the game at all levels and in all corners of the globe.
“For ourselves at the European Tour it is, suffice to say that, as the Tour’s Founding Father, he was chosen by his peers to set everything up – which he did brilliantly, inspiring everybody who cares for the tournament game. We will miss him. But his indelible link will remain large.”
George O’Grady, Chief Executive of the European Tour from 2005 to 2015, said: “John Jacobs’s achievements are legendary and well-chronicled in all areas of golf. He has also been a constant source of advice and inspiration to everyone involved in the game and to so many aspiring professionals.
“His impact, knowledge, influence, diplomacy, and leadership made him, quite rightly, the continuing Founding Father of the current European Tour.”

David Williams, Chairman of the European Tour, said: “John Jacobs was a visionary and an exceptional human being who was a true Founding Father of today’s European Tour. We will guard his legacy and we have much to live up to.”
Peter Alliss, veteran golf commentator on the BBC, said: “He was ahead of his time and was a huge figure in the world of golf. Today, he would be an absolute giant if you were talking about the same sort of position now to 40 years ago.
“He did everything and he had everything – he was a good-looking man, he had charisma, he could speak, he had ideas, he listened and he was a huge asset to the European Tour. He and Ken Schofield worked well together and between them, laid the foundations for the successful business the Tour is today. He will be sadly missed.”