![]() ![]() Jacobs began his college career at Notre Dame and won the school championship in his first year, shooting a 68 in the final round. They stayed out there for eight or nine days.'Īt his mother's urging, Jacobs retrieved his clubs and returned to play golf. ![]() My dad and I seldom had words, and this was a rare show of temper for me, but I took my clubs out of the car and threw them on the parking in front of our house. 'While I was basking in my glory, my dad came up to me and said, 'God, do you need to practice,'' Jacobs recalled in a 1978 interview. He downed fellow Cedar Rapidian John Vavra in a 38-hole match. Two weeks out of high school, at age 18, Jacobs captured the first of his six Iowa Amateur championships. I found out he said to other people that I was doing great, but he never said it to me.' 'He always said I had to work harder and I took that as a challenge. 'My dad never said at any time that I played well,' Jacobs said in a 1985 interview. John Jacobs II, a safety director and legal adviser for Borden Foods in Cedar Rapids, was forever the taskmaster. But his father saw much promise in his son through his performances in junior golf. Jacobs attended old Immaculate Conception, but never got to compete in the high school state tournament because I.C. He made 12 straight '3s' during the round. He won several junior tournaments locally and regionally and was able to enter them, as he learned much later in life, because his father mortgaged the family car to pay expenses.Īt 15, Jacobs carded a lifetime-best 59 at the old Legion Course in Mason City. You will begin to receive our Daily News updates. Add your contacts.īy the time he was 13, Jacobs was regularly breaking 80 at Kenmore, now known as Elmcrest Country Club. 'Dad would hide in the alley but his dad could find him, pick him up and take him to the golf course until it was dark.' 'There were stories that sometimes Dad didn't like or want to play,' Jacobs's son, Pete, said. Jacobs' father introduced him to golf at age 5, but the youngster wasn't always enamored by the game. Toss in a bulldog-like competitive attitude that belied his pleasant demeanor and it was a combination that stood up for nearly six decades. An absolute gentleman and fabulous player.'Įfficiency off the tee. 'He was very accurate, not a super putter but good enough. Andrews Golf Club professional and superintendent. 'John hit a low hook like a lot of players back then,' said Mike Hall, St. His success came during a time when drivers were wooden, irons were not oversized and balls were not made of synthetic materials. His father's approach alternately irritated and motivated Jacobs toward a career few in Iowa can match. ![]()
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