Latest news with #MastersTrophy
USA Today
11-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Masters winners get a green jacket but did you know Augusta National still owns them?
Masters winners get a green jacket but did you know Augusta National still owns them? How many people worldwide own one of the famed green jackets awarded annually to Masters Tournament champions? It's a trick question. Every single jacket is owned by the Augusta National Golf Club, a federal court has upheld. Now, Ryan Carey won't even consider bringing a green jacket into the lucrative sports collectibles market. "Augusta National's position is that they own the green jackets and then they give out, basically, possessory rights to the champions," said Carey, founder and co-owner of the golf-collectibles auction house Golden Age. "So while we have sold green jackets in the past, we honor Augusta's opinion or stance on that, that they're really owned by them." A rye-green, tropical-weight wool blazer with custom-pressed brass buttons has been awarded officially to each Masters champion since Sam Snead in 1949. But the club also gave jackets to the nine previous Masters champions. In 2013, the green jacket owned by Horton Smith, the first Masters champion in 1934 and again in 1936, sold at auction for almost $700,000, believed to be a record for golf memorabilia. In 1994, a 1950s-era green jacket with its member's nametag snipped out surfaced at a Toronto thrift store, and was sold in 2017 for almost $140,000. Many golf fans consider the green jackets an enduring symbol of the Masters' style and substance, which has made the distinctive blazers a target for eager collectors. But some appear too eager. In March, a former warehouse worker at the Augusta National was sentenced to a year in jail for his role in handling millions of dollars' worth of the club's Masters memorabilia, including Arnold Palmer's first green jacket that he won in 1958. Fiercely protective of its branded image, the National has gone to court to protect the jackets. In 2017, the Augusta National legally challenged Golden Age's predecessor, Green Jacket Auctions, which handled some of the last green jackets ever to come to market. A federal judge closed the lawsuit in 2019 after an administrative panel agreed with the National's contention that the "green jacket" name, which it trademarked in 2010, belongs to the club in addition to the jackets. But even without the jackets, the golf-collectibles market has stayed solid, according to Carey, saying that collecting "alternative assets" from sports in general seemed to have risen with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic as people sought solace in their possessions while sheltering in place. More golf-memorabilia collectors are pivoting toward other big-ticket items, such as winners' Masters trophies, which depict the National's famous clubhouse. The permanent Masters Trophy stays at the club. Carey helped sell one of Palmer's four Masters trophies at auction in 2016 for more than $444,000. The trophy was promised to a golf museum at a Virginia resort that never was built. Now in the hands of a private collector, the trophy could "easily" fetch more than $1 million if auctioned, he said. "I keep begging the owner to let me sell it again, and as of right now he keeps saying no. He enjoys having it in his collection," Carey said. "That's probably the one I'd like to get back the most."
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
From Masters trophy to Eagle crystal: 10 prizes players can win at Augusta National
AUGUSTA, Ga. — From cloth to crystal, there are many ways for a player to make the Masters memorable. The tournament stands alone in golf for many reasons, but no other event provides such an elaborate array of prizes to its contestants. From the most coveted article of clothing in sports, the green jacket, to a variety of crystal glasses and bowls, the Augusta National Golf Club sure does take care of participants when they make memorable shots or produce memorable weeks. Here's a closer look at the 10 prizes golfers can win at the Masters. It all starts with the green jacket, which has been awarded to the champion since 1949. He also gets a sterling silver replica of the Masters Trophy (which depicts the clubhouse) and a gold medal. Since 1951, the runner-up has received a Silver Medal. In 1978, a Silver Salver was added as an award. Amateurs who make the cut are eligible to win the silver cup, which goes to the low amateur. There is also a silver medal that goes to the runner-up. Players who card a hole-in-one during the Masters receive a large crystal bowl. There have been 34 holes-in-one in tournament history. A crystal bowl is awarded to players for an albatross, known to some fans as a double eagle. Since there have only been four of those in tournament history, this has proven to be the most difficult trophy to obtain. One way to walk away with a keepsake embossed with the Masters logo is to make an eagle. Any player in the field is eligible. From 1954-62, anyone making an eagle received a crystal highball glass. From 1963-2011, a pair of crystal goblets was awarded. Now, a pair of crystal highball glasses goes to those who card an eagle. Crystal in the form of a vase is awarded to players who score the lowest round of the day. The winner of the Par 3 Contest receives a crystal pedestal bowl. Famously, no Par 3 Contest winner has ever gone on to win the Masters Tournament later in the same week. A hole-in-one in the Par 3 Contest earns players a crystal vase. There have been 107 holes-in-one made all-time in the Wednesday tradition, including a record nine in 2016. There were five in 2023, including back-to-back aces by Seamus Power on Nos. 8 and 9. A crystal pitcher is awarded to the player closest to the flagstick in the Par 3 Contest. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Masters 2025: 10 trophies to win at Augusta National
USA Today
18-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
From Masters trophy to Eagle crystal: 10 prizes players can win at Augusta National
From Masters trophy to Eagle crystal: 10 prizes players can win at Augusta National AUGUSTA, Ga. — From cloth to crystal, there are many ways for a player to make the Masters memorable. The tournament stands alone in golf for many reasons, but no other event provides such an elaborate array of prizes to its contestants. From the most coveted article of clothing in sports, the green jacket, to a variety of crystal glasses and bowls, the Augusta National Golf Club sure does take care of participants when they make memorable shots or produce memorable weeks. Here's a closer look at the 10 prizes golfers can win at the Masters. Tournament winner It all starts with the green jacket, which has been awarded to the champion since 1949. He also gets a sterling silver replica of the Masters Trophy (which depicts the clubhouse) and a gold medal. Tournament runner-up Since 1951, the runner-up has received a Silver Medal. In 1978, a Silver Salver was added as an award. Low amateur Amateurs who make the cut are eligible to win the silver cup, which goes to the low amateur. There is also a silver medal that goes to the runner-up. Hole-in-one Players who card a hole-in-one during the Masters receive a large crystal bowl. There have been 34 holes-in-one in tournament history. Albatross A crystal bowl is awarded to players for an albatross, known to some fans as a double eagle. Since there have only been four of those in tournament history, this has proven to be the most difficult trophy to obtain. Eagle One way to walk away with a keepsake embossed with the Masters logo is to make an eagle. Any player in the field is eligible. From 1954-62, anyone making an eagle received a crystal highball glass. From 1963-2011, a pair of crystal goblets was awarded. Now, a pair of crystal highball glasses goes to those who card an eagle. Day's low score Crystal in the form of a vase is awarded to players who score the lowest round of the day. Par 3 Contest winner The winner of the Par 3 Contest receives a crystal pedestal bowl. Famously, no Par 3 Contest winner has ever gone on to win the Masters Tournament later in the same week. Par 3 hole-in-one A hole-in-one in the Par 3 Contest earns players a crystal vase. There have been 107 holes-in-one made all-time in the Wednesday tradition, including a record nine in 2016. There were five in 2023, including back-to-back aces by Seamus Power on Nos. 8 and 9. Par 3 closest to hole A crystal pitcher is awarded to the player closest to the flagstick in the Par 3 Contest.
