Fairways of Life
Consulting

Tony Jacklin's Words of Wisdom

Jacklin’s Words of Wisdom

 

The career of Tony Jacklin has been compared to that of a streaking commet; brief, yet brilliant.  Jacklin was born into a working class family in England and at one time was an apprentice steelworker.  His father introduced him to golf at an early age and by the time he was in his early teens he was winning tournaments.  At 17 he turned professional.  Scratching and clawing his way through the ranks, in 1969 he won the Open Championship, the first Englishman to win since 1951, and in 1970 he posted a seven-shot victory at the U.S. Open, the first Brit to win the event since 1920. 

 

Jacklin’s triumph’s revitalized the game in his native land.  Jacklin was a seven-time team member of the Ryder Cup (his was the putt famously conceded by Jack Nicklaus in 1969 to end the matches in a halve) and he is unquestionably one of the cornerstones of the success of the European Ryder Cup team, having captained the team in 1983, 1985 (the Brit/Euros first victory since 1957), 1987 (first Euro win on American soil) and in 1989. 

 

Nicklaus concedes the final putt to Jacklin resulting in a halve, 1969 Ryder Cup

His distinctive career earned him the honors of the Order of the British Empire and the Commander of the British Empire.

 

Recently, Jacklin recounted to me a source of inspiration that he carried throughout his career.  It was a simple poem, given to him by a friend who used to caddy for him.  Jacklin’s friend has long since passed, but his words, and inspiration, live on.  Here is the text of that poem:

 

"If you think you are beaten, you are.

 

If you think you dare not, you don't.

 

If you would like to win but think you can't, it's almost certain you won't.

 

If you think you'll lose, you've lost.

 

For out in the world, you'll find, success begins in the fellow's will. It's all in a state of mind.

 

Think big and your deeds will grow.

 

Think small and you'll fall behind.

 

Think that you can and you will.

 

It's all in a state of mind.

 

Life's battles won't always go to the strong or fast at hand, but sooner or later, the man who wins is the man who thinks he can."
posted on 6/13/2008 by Matt Adams | 7 Comments | Email
Who is the actual author of the poem?
6/14/2008 | Dean
What is the name of the poem and who is the author?
6/14/2008 | Gerry Hause
Thank you for the comments. Apparently, the poem has no known name (I will let you know if I find out differently). But as to the original source, here is the brief text from an interview with Mr. Jacklin from the 2002 World Golf Hall of Fame Media Conference: Q. Who was the gentlemen, the poem's author? TONY JACKLIN: A man long dead now, long gone from this world, a man called John Elnor (ph). He used to caddy for me. He was a 1-handicap golfer from the village of Bellsham (ph) in North Lincolnshire. He was the man.
6/15/2008 | Matt Adams
The poem that inspired Yony Jacklin is powerful. It's a true compass for living your life. Thanks for sharing it.
6/16/2008 | Jim Meisenheimer
Jim, thank you. I agree. Glad you enjoyed it. I plan to have Tony as my guest on the Fairways of Life Show on the PGA Tour Network the week of the Open Championship. I plan on asking him the name of the poem and more about its background.
6/16/2008 | Matt Adams
I think the original poem is You Can If You Think You Can! If you think you are beaten, you are, If you think you dare not, you don't. If you like to win, but you think you can't, It is almost certain you won't. If you think you'll lose, you're lost, For out in the world we find, Success begins with a fellow's will. It's all in the state of mind. If you think you are outclassed, you are, You've got to think high to rise, You've got to be sure of yourself before You can ever win a prize. Life's battles don't always go To the stronger or faster man. But soon or late the man who wins, Is the man who thinks he can. ~ C. W. Longenecker ~
8/8/2008 | M Trivett
Excellent, thank you. Tony Jacklin has not claimed that his version is the original, only that it is the version that was given to him by a friend. However, his use of the poem, in any form, is a testament to the power of positive thinking from an era when golfers were basically on their own.
8/8/2008 | Matt Adams
 
 
 
   
 
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