Keith Thomas Jacobs Jr. (February 13, 1935 – July 9, 2022) was an American professional golfer and golf course owner/operator who played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. He was the older brother of John Jacobs who has also played on the PGA Tour and is a current player on the Champions Tour.[1]

Tommy Jacobs
Jacobs, circa 1951
Personal information
Full nameKeith Thomas Jacobs Jr.
Born(1935-02-13)February 13, 1935
Denver, Colorado, U.S.
DiedJuly 9, 2022(2022-07-09) (aged 87)
Height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight160 lb (73 kg; 11 st)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceLeland, North Carolina, U.S.
Career
Turned professional1956
Former tour(s)PGA Tour
Champions Tour
Professional wins7
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour4
Other3
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament2nd: 1966
PGA ChampionshipT8: 1963
U.S. Open2nd: 1964
The Open ChampionshipDNP
British AmateurR64: 1955

Jacobs was born in Denver, Colorado, and raised in southern California, where he started in junior golf. In 1951, Jacobs won the U.S. Junior Amateur. At sixteen, he advanced to the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur, which earned him an invitation to the Masters Tournament at age 17. For 58 years, Jacobs had the distinction of being the youngest golfer to ever play in the Masters (in 1952).[1] The record was broken by Matteo Manassero in 2010. He turned professional in 1956.

Jacobs won four PGA Tour events. His first win came in 1958 at the newly revamped Denver Open, and his last was at the 1964 Palm Springs Golf Classic. During his career, Jacobs had sole 2nd-place finishes in two major championships. He lost the 1964 U.S. Open to Ken Venturi by four strokes, and was runner-up in a playoff at the Masters Tournament in 1966 that he (72) and Gay Brewer (78) lost to Jack Nicklaus (70).[2] Jacobs was a member of the 1965 Ryder Cup team, and finished with a record of 3-1-1.

Jacobs joined the Senior PGA Tour (now known as the Champions Tour) in 1985 and continued to play in selected events into the 2000s; his last appearance was at the 2003 Senior PGA Championship.[1]

Jacobs and his brother John teamed up with Roger Fredericks, to form Champions Corporate Golf Outings, which provides custom tailored golf events for small to medium size groups and corporations.[1]

Jacobs died on July 9, 2022, at the age of 87.[3]

Professional wins (7)

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PGA Tour wins (4)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner-up
1 Sep 14, 1958 Denver Open −14 (65-67-67-67=266) 1 stroke   Ernie Vossler
2 Jan 14, 1962 San Diego Open Invitational −7 (72-70-70-65=277) Playoff   Johnny Pott
3 Sep 8, 1963 Utah Open −12 (68-72-62-70=272) 1 stroke   Don January
4 Feb 2, 1964 Palm Springs Golf Classic −7 (66-74-74-69-70=353) Playoff   Jimmy Demaret

PGA Tour playoff record (2–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1962 San Diego Open Invitational   Johnny Pott Won with birdie on first extra hole
2 1964 Palm Springs Golf Classic   Jimmy Demaret Won with par on second extra hole
3 1966 Masters Tournament   Gay Brewer,   Jack Nicklaus Nicklaus won 18-hole playoff;
Nicklaus: −2 (70),
Jacobs: E (72),
Brewer: +6 (78)
4 1969 IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic   Gay Brewer,   Dave Hill,
  R. H. Sikes
Hill won with birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (3)

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Results in major championships

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Amateur

Tournament 1952 1953 1954 1955
Masters Tournament 60
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
British Amateur R64

Professional

Tournament 1956 1957 1958 1959
Masters Tournament CUT
U.S. Open CUT T10 T59
The Open Championship
PGA Championship T14
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
Masters Tournament T28 CUT T15 2 CUT CUT
U.S. Open CUT T6 T32 2 T28 CUT CUT CUT
The Open Championship
PGA Championship CUT T23 T8 CUT CUT CUT T67
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976
Masters Tournament
U.S. Open
The Open Championship
PGA Championship T61 CUT CUT CUT
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut (3rd round cut in 1960 and 1964 PGA Championships)
R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Source for Masters,[4] U.S. Open,[5] Open Championship,[6] British Amateur,[7] PGA Championship[8]

Summary

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Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Masters Tournament 0 1 0 1 1 2 8 4
U.S. Open 0 1 0 1 3 3 11 6
The Open Championship 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 1 3 12 5
Totals 0 2 0 2 5 8 31 15
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (1962 U.S. Open – 1963 PGA)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 1 (five times)

Team appearances

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Tommy Jacobs bio". Champions Corporate Golf Outings. Retrieved May 8, 2010.
  2. ^ "Tommy Jacobs". Golf Major Championships.
  3. ^ Livsey, Laury (July 11, 2022). "Tommy Jacobs passes away at age 87". PGA Tour.
  4. ^ www.masters.com Archived 2010-03-26 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ USGA Championship Database Archived 2010-12-21 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ www.opengolf.com
  7. ^ The Glasgow Herald, June 2, 1955, pg. 4.
  8. ^ PGA Championship Media Guide
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