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Tony Jacklin, one of Europe’s greatest golfers of all time, has revealed that he has been living with cancer for the last seven years.
The Ryder Cup legend made the shock announcement as he launched his brand new ‘tell all’ autobiography.
Co-authored by Tony Jimenez, Tony Jacklin: My Ryder Cup Journey tells the story of Jacklin’s remarkable life both on and off the golf course.
Written during lockdown last year, it explores the transformative impact the Englishman had on the Ryder Cup, ending decades of American dominance during his four terms as European captain in the 1980s.
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The book covers all aspects of his life, from his huge success on the course to the personal tragedies he has suffered along the way, most the death of his first wife Vivien from a brain haemorrhage in 1988.
However, the biggest revelation of all is Jacklin’s hitherto untold cancer diagnosis.
“It’s one of life’s things, it’s just part
of getting old,” he told Sportsmail. “I was diagnosed with follicular
lymphoma, which is manageable, but it’s incurable.
“It
was funny because I had to listen to two or three Ben Hogan stories
from the doctor, and I’m sitting there thinking, ‘Just tell me whether
I’m going to die or not!’
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The 77-year-old added that he has been in remission for the past year-and-a-half.
“I had chemo four different times, a month apart. I kept having the scans and after
four scans I was as good as clear. They said I was officially in
remission. This was 18 months ago and I’m vigilant. I feel fine but you never know.”
—
Tony Jacklin: My Ryder Cup Journey is available to buy now from all good bookstores and online. Click here for more.
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