Scotty Cameron putters belonging to Tiger Woods have been sold in the last few years — with one fetching an eye-popping $393,000 back in August. It was the most that had ever been spent on a golf club before a set of “Tiger Slam” irons belonging to the 15-time major winner obliterated the record ($5.1 million) five months ago.
The latest putter in Golden Age’s golf-clubs-only auction won’t come close to sniffing $5 million, but it should easily top six figures, thanks in part to a fun backstory.
As Golden Age confirmed, the putter is a 2005 “personal red dot Scotty Cameron backup putter” — better known as the model Woods used to win 14 majors. Outside of the light milling on the face and “T.W.” stamped on the toe, the putter looks almost identical to Woods’ current gamer. (It should be noted, the backup putter that sold for $393,300 last year had the same smooth face as Woods’ iconic wand.)
So what makes this one special? Aside from the fact that Woods signed the face, it can be tied back to a fundraiser auction in 2005, called The Tiger Woods Learning Center Block Party, that raised money for Woods’ first TGR Learning Lab campus.
As the story goes, the consignor’s parents were some of the earliest donors to Woods’ TGR charities and ended up making a splash at the event when the Woods-signed backup putter hit the auction block. With Woods on the stage to help induce bids, the consignor’s father made it clear he wouldn’t lose out on the putter.
“[B]eing transfixed by Tiger Woods up on stage and in the giving spirit, our consignor’s father kept outbidding anyone who bid against him for this legendary putter when Tiger Woods put it up for auction,” the auction house said. “The putter was then put into a shadowbox, where it has lived for the past 17 years until it finally surfaces again in this auction.”
Like Woods on Sunday with a lead, the consignor’s father was willing to do whatever it took to leave with the spoils. With golf collectibles booming, he stands to once again come out the big winner when the auction closes.
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