10 April 2023 , 16:05
1050
0
A golf ball Tiger Woods used during the final round of his maiden major championship win at the 1997 Masters has sold for a whopping $64,000 after being put up for auction.
Woods secured the first of his five green jackets 26 years ago, with a record-breaking 12-shot victory over second place Tom Kite after shooting 18-under-par for the tournament. After a bogey at the par four fifth, the 82-time PGA Tour winner handed his ball to a young boy in the crowd.
That young spectator was nine-year-old Julian Nexsen, and the golf fan has kept hold of the small piece of golfing history until now.
On March 27 Nexsen listed the item via Golden Age Auctions, with a starting bid of $500. The description of the listed item read: "Offered here is a truly stunning find - an actual golf ball used by Tiger Woods during the final round of the 1997 Masters Tournament.
"Even better, this ball comes with impeccable provenance. Unless Tiger himself or his caddie Fluff intentionally saved a ball from this historic final round (which we doubt), this may be the only confirmed golf ball from the final round of Tiger Woods' first Major Championship victory."
Bubba Watson shares details of horror knee injury ahead of LIV Golf debut
Tiger Woods secured his first ever major championship in 1997 (AFP via Getty Images)
Tiger Woods' winning ball has some for a mini-fortune (Augusta National/Getty Images)Nearly two weeks and 53 bids after originally being listed, the ball raked in a mammoth $64,124.40. This is not the first time a piece of Woods memorabilia has sold for a small fortune at auction. Last November, a ball signed by Woods sold for a staggering $186,000 according to Heritage Auctions.
Woods hit a hole-in-one with the ball during his professional tournament debut in 1996 at the Greater Milwaukee Open. 12 months ago, the five-time Masters winner's iron set used in his famous 'Tiger Slam' were also sold at auction for a whopping $5.1 million.