26 Years Later, Tiger Woods’ Name Primed to Fetch King’s Ransom Months After $7.2 Million Haul

Tiger Woods‘ first hole-in-one golf ball, which he hit on his professional debut in 1996, made history and signaled the start of an extraordinary career. Well, it was set to grab attention once more. The renowned golfer’s signed Titleist was put up for sale and, unsurprisingly enough, brought in a king’s ransom. 

As last year’s November drew near, excitement for the sale of Tiger Woods’ first hole-in-one golf ball, a prized relic that marked the beginning of an unrivaled athletic career, grew. Woods has made his name in sports history with a career that includes 15 Major wins and an incredible 82 PGA Tour victories. Golf lovers, sports fans, and collectors from all around the world watched the auction in anticipation of their chance to acquire this one-of-a-kind piece of golfing history.

Tiger Woods’ first hole-in-one golf ball sells for jaw-dropping $186,000

From November 17–19, 2022, the eagerly awaited auction took place at Heritage Auctions’ Fall Sports Catalogue Auction in the US.

For the signed Titleist, Heritage Auctions set a low guide price of US$50,000 (S$70,165). Given the enormous value and extreme rarity of such a special artifact, experts predicted that the final bid might much exceed this estimate. 

The auction came to an exciting conclusion as eager buyers competed for this unique piece of golf history. As the offers continued to rise above projections, the excitement in the room was apparent. Ultimately, one lucky buyer won the ball for an incredible price of more than $186,000.

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Other Woods memorabilia, including his Title 681-T irons, which he used to win each of his four major championships in 2000 and 2001, earned an astounding $7.2 million at auction months before the first hole-in-one golf ball’s auction in the last year.

The lucky fan who got Tiger Woods’ historic memorabilia 26 years ago

It was twenty-six years ago, at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open, when a young Tiger Woods made his triumphant debut as a professional golfer. From that moment on, the extraordinary adventure of this historic golf ball began. He aced the 14th hole in the final round, leaving the audience in awe of his incredible talent, to a loud ovation. Little did the world know that this was the beginning of a career that would pave the way, despite the fact that he placed modestly in 60th place in that tournament.

Woods threw the ball into the jubilant crowd after his tremendous shot, and after a tiny deflection off the hand of his brother-in-law David Beck, it ended up in the hands of lucky fan Bob Gustin. Gustin made sure to obtain the ball signed by the rising star thanks to a link with tournament director Tom Strong, realizing the historical significance of the occasion.

Gustin has proudly displayed the prized Titleist in a glass case for the past 26 years, along with details about the competition and the occasion of Woods’ incredible achievement. However, he had then made the decision to sell this special keepsake through an auction. 

What’s your take on the Woods’ first hole-in-one golf ball auction? Let us know your view in the comments below.

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