European Golf & # 39; s Debt to Tony Jacklin

Tony Jacklin from England won the 1969 British Open and the United States Open a year later.

He was only 25, but he never won another major championship.

The best he came was in the 1972 British Open when he was tied to play the penultimate hole. Lee Trevino, the eventual champion, then fell for a par. Jacklin finished third.

Still, when you think of golf in Europe over the past half century, Jacklin & # 39; s name stands out for the Ryder Cup, the two-year tournament in which European players compete against Americans.

Jacklin starred in it seven times, including in 1969 when he was involved in one of the most famous incidents. He faced a short putt on the last green of the Royal Birkdale Golf Club in England that would have leveled the game when his opponent, Jack Nicklaus, just handed it to him. It became known as the "concession" and was the first time the event had ended in a draw, although the United States retained the cup as the previous winner.

Jacklin was also the captain of Europe four times in the 1980s, when his team broke the dominance of the Americans.

As the European Tour kicks off a new season at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Jacklin, 76, recently reflected on his career. The following conversation has been edited and condensed:

You said you thought you were traveling too much during your playing days, but there wasn't much money on the table?

If you wanted financial security, you had to play in Japan and Australia at the end of a busy season. It was a balancing act, but you can only play well when mind and body show up together. And there were too many occasions when the body came up and the mind was not ready for action. I spread myself too thin. I played 28 or 30 [tournaments a year].

Were you never the same after Trevino defeated you in 1972?

It hurt me. I never thought luck played such a big part in it. I witnessed a brutal happiness of his for the past two days. He hit a few shots [from off the green] that went straight into the hole, and he laughed it all off. It knocked me out of my mind.

Wasn't it just one tournament?

It's a tournament, but it was the main tournament of my life. Thank goodness I won one. Otherwise it would have been a real career breaker. It changed my view of the game. I thought if you worked hard and were really good, you won.

It's been 50 years since the U.S. Open won. Is there a moment that stands out?

I hit a putt on the ninth green from about 10 yards for a birdie. I hit it too hard, and the ball hit the back of the hole, jumped into the air, and fell into it. Only after that putt went in did I feel all the pressure roll off me. I'm not overly religious – I believe in God – but on that last day I prayed in the morning. Not to win, just to have the strength to get through the day.

What is your favorite Ryder Cup memory as a captain?

Winning on American soil [in Ohio]] for the first time in 1987. There is only one first, and that was it. It was a great performance by a great team. We had a great team unity. There were companion pros on my team who dug really deep.

Are you more proud of your achievements as a player or as the Ryder Cup captain?

It's like asking, what's your favorite child? They both came at a completely different time in my life.

Do people still come up to you and mention the pit Nicklaus admitted?

All the time, and the putt becomes four feet, not two. He shouted after me after we both hit the last hole. I waited for him and he said, "Are you nervous?" I said, "I'm petrified." He said, "I just want you to know that I feel the same."

If you could change anything in the game today, what would it be?

I want the ball to be 50 meters shorter. I don't understand how people think it would be a setback.