Like any sport, collecting the athlete’s equipment used to win a key game or event with can be quite valuable. A baseball bat for a milestone home run is one item, but so are key golf clubs used to win the top golf tournaments. Tiger Woods is the greatest golfer of the modern era. So, how much will you pay to own Tiger Woods’ personal putter?
Golden Age Golf Auctions has a variety of Tiger Woods authentic items listed for bid in their Summer 2021 Auction. This includes a variety of Tiger Woods putters. Bidding opened on August 12, 2021 and ends on August 28, 2021 at 7:00 PM EST.
Lot #1 is the key to this auction as the item is Tiger Woods’ personal 2002 Scotty Cameron backup putter. It had a starting bid of $25,000.00 and after 13 bids (with 9 days remaining) the current bid was last seen at $78,460.00. This is the main draw of the auction, although there are other putters and other items for Tiger Woods fans to chase.
Golden Age did confirm what should be the first question that is asked — this was not the putter that Tiger used to win 14 of his 15 Major Championships. That example of Tiger’s putter is still owned and frequently used by him. The description effectively lays out the status here for collectors:
This coveted early 2000s Tiger Woods backup putter has become the marquee modern golf collectible. There are only a handful of pieces of sports memorabilia that we can be relatively certain will be collected for centuries… When it comes to golf, there’s one such item that we would add to the list above all others – Tiger Woods’ red dot Scotty Cameron putter.
Image below provided by Golden Age Golf Auctions.
Collectors Dashboard explored some of the other golf collectibles and where the bidding has taken these items on August 19, 2021. Here they are.
Lot # 4: Tiger Woods’ Personal 1990s Red Dot Newport II Putter which had a starting bid of $10,000.00 has 1 bid for that amount. The listing description transcends the appeal of Tiger woods memorabilia by summarizing why Tiger matters:
“Tiger Woods is not only perhaps the greatest golfer to walk to earth, he is also among the most private. Getting quality, non-autograph, pieces of memorabilia related to Tiger has been a daunting, and frequently fruitless, task since we started our auction 16 years ago in 2006. “
Lot # 7: Tiger Woods 1997 Masters Scotty Cameron Victory Putter in GSS (#13/21) with a starting bid of $1,000.00 the current bid stands at $11,915.00 with 9 days remaining for people to bid and a banner beneath the current bid price exclaiming that the reserve has been met.
Of the Tiger Woods putters available the 1997 masters putter is likely the most recognizable. Following the 1997 masters Scotty Cameron made 21 exact replicas of the putter Tiger used in the game. Lot #7 in this auction is number 13 of 21. Here is the listing description of this putter:
Tiger Woods winning the 1997 Masters Tournament changed a lot of things in the golf world. One thing it did was forever change the life of Scotty Cameron.
Collectors are no doubt familiar with the coveted ’97 Masters victory putter which Scotty Cameron made 270 of following Tiger’s victory. We sold one such example last year for $13,500.
Well, offered here is the other limited edition 1997 Masters Tournament victory putter that you likely have never seen offered for public sale. This is one of only 21 GSS 1997 Masters victory putters that Scotty Cameron produced following Tiger’s historic victory, this being #13 of 21. Certificate of Authenticity from Scotty Cameron.
Collectors Dashboard found a sale of Tiger Woods’ 2001 backup putter that sold for $154,928.00 on September 27, 2020 by Golden Age Golf Auctions in what was believed to be the highest ever paid for a golf putter.
Lot # 19: Tiger Woods 2000 US Open GSS Putter #6 is the final putter offered in this auction. The current bid is $8,738.00 from a starting bid of $500.00. The description of the item is as follows:
You may know that Scotty Cameron produced 272 putters to commemorate Tiger Woods’ legendary victory in the 2000 US Open. But what you may not know is that the first several of those 272 were produced in German Stainless Steel (GSS) and never released to the general public. Offered here is #006 of 272 produced. Mint, unused condition, as it has been tucked away for years in one of the world’s top Scotty Cameron collections. It’s hard to explain how dead mint this 21 year old putter is. It appears untouched and still has the plastic on the grip. Early Scotty Cameron authenticity certificate from 2004 with the low #001291.” Certificate of Authenticity from Scotty Cameron.
Collectors Dashboard evaluates collectibles as an alternative asset class. This means collectibles are attracting the same capital that could have been invested into stocks or bonds. Many collectibles now cost thousands of dollars (or much more). Collectors with a passion to own a collectible for years frequently have to compete directly against investors whose only desire is to make a profit in the future.
The iconic status of Tiger Woods is sealed into sports records. What is more frequently being offered through auctions are the tools he used to get there. Media badges are fun items to mount or display but a club can be felt in a way less destructible fashion than a paper ticket or glossy plastic case. When a golfer sinks the putt from across the green what does he or she first hold up to the crowd’s instant roar? A golf putter of course!
