Tributes paid to European Tour’s 'Founding Father'

European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley has led the tributes to the late John Jacobs, regarded as the Founding Father of the tour and one of the most influential coaches in the history of the modern game.

Tributes flooded in across the sporting world on Friday, while his crucial role in the foundation and subsequent growth of the European Tour was widely praised by his successors.

Keith Pelley, Chief Executive of the European Tour, 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.”

Paul McGinley, the 2014 European Ryder Cup captain, said: “So sad to hear the passing of the great John Jacobs today.  He is a man I have known and respected throughout my career, not just as a pioneer in golf coaching but as a godfather to the European Tour and Ryder Cup. He stood for all that is great about the game of golf in terms of his knowledge, interest, humility and gentlemanly behaviour. Although the game of golf is in a worse place with the loss of John, his legacy and the impact he has had will last forever.”

Darren Clarke,2016 Ryder Cup Captain, said: “It’s very sad news today. John was a great man and the founding father of the European Tour. If it wasn’t for John we might not be standing here today with a European Tour which has grown into a global tour which produces champions all over the world. He was integral to all of that. Not only that, when he went into coaching he was an innovator who had his own ideas and a lot of success so many players. It’s a very sad day for the European Tour and indeed the world of golf that John Jacobs has passed away.”

José Maria Olazábal,Europe’s 2012 Ryder Cup captain, said: “I was 14 when I first met John at Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro in Madrid, where he was invited every year by the Spanish Golf Federation to work with the national teams and he impressed me from the very first moment.

“When I turned professional, he used to come and visit us at the events we played in England and we established a very close relationship. He meant a lot to me. I went to him any time I needed advice. He was so kind, so close, so human… and he listened, not many people do. We will always be in debt with him for what he did for the European Tour.

“Last time I saw him was at the European Tour Players’ Award Dinner in 2014 and we enjoyed our chat like we always did. In the middle of last year, I was told he was not feeling well and I gave him a ring. We were both very emotional – it was like a farewell call.”

Meanwhile, on Twitter some of the most influential figures in the game paid their tributes to the two-time Ryder Cup Captain:

Thomas Bjørn

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Ian Poulter

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Paul Broadhurst

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Paul Lawrie

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Ken Brown

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Padraig Harrington: