Tommy Jacobs


Keith Thomas Jacobs Jr. is an American professional golfer and golf course owner/operator who has played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour. He is the older brother of John Jacobs who has also played on the PGA Tour and is a current player on the Champions Tour.
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 semi-finals 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. 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 and Gay Brewer lost to Jack Nicklaus. Jacobs was a member of the 1965 Ryder Cup team, and finished with a record of 3-1-1.
Like most pro golfers of his generation, Jacobs earned his living primarily as a club pro during his thirties and forties. He was Director of Golf at La Costa Hotel Spa and The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California for more than 20 years. He joined the Senior PGA Tour in 1985 and continued to play in selected events into the 2000s; his last appearance was at the 2003 Senior PGA Championship. In 1995, he went on to form an LLC, which purchased Bel Air Greens golf course, and changed the name to Tommy Jacobs' Bel Air Greens - a nine-hole, par-32 golf course in Palm Springs, California. Jacobs and his partners completed the sale of the golf course in 2006.
Jacobs and his brother John have 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.
Jacobs lives in Leland, North Carolina and is the owner-operator of Magnolia Greens Golf Course.

Professional wins (7)

PGA Tour wins (4)

PGA Tour playoff record
No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
11962San Diego Open Invitational Johnny PottWon with birdie on first extra hole
21964Palm Springs Golf Classic Jimmy DemaretWon with par on second extra hole
31966Masters Tournament Gay Brewer, Jack NicklausNicklaus won 18-hole playoff;
Nicklaus: −2,
Jacobs: E,
Brewer: +6
41969IVB-Philadelphia Golf Classic Gay Brewer, Dave Hill,
R. H. Sikes		Hill won with birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (3)

Amateur
Professional
CUT = missed the half-way cut
R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Source for Masters, U.S. Open, Open Championship, British Amateur, PGA Championship

Summary