Sitting in a stack of previously-worn blazers at a Toronto thrift store was the unthinkable – an original Masters Tournament Green Jacket with a price tag of $5. The familiar green color of the jacket, and its iconic breast patch, went unnoticed by consignment shop workers and customers. That is, until an avid golfer saw this piece of clothing and knew exactly what it was - not just a green jacket, but The Green Jacket.

When the so-called “Thrift Store Green Jacket” was first discovered in 1994, the speculation was rampant. Was it real, and if so, where did it come from? The jacket itself revealed few clues. The internal tagging definitively dates the jacket to the early 1950s - one of the earliest green jackets in existence. But the original owner’s name was tantalizingly cut out of the jacket. Augusta National Golf Club may have unintentionally fanned the flames of speculation, as they confirmed the jacket’s authenticity but then refused to answer any questions as to the identity of its original owner. Could it be the long lost green jacket of a Masters Tournament Champion? Did a member mistakenly, or intentionally, remove the green jacket from the club’s grounds many years ago?

This authentic green jacket dates to the early 1950s (possibly as late as the mid 1950s). Its internal tagging from Cullum's department store in Augusta unquestionably predates the Cullum's tags inside 1957 Champion Doug Ford's Green Jacket.

The offered Thrift Store Green Jacket is among the finest green jackets in existence. Perhaps Augusta National knows something about this jacket that they aren't telling us. Until they do, the mystery of its original owner will continue to be the subject of curiosity and speculation.

This green jacket comes with a substantial amount of provenance. When it was first discovered in a Toronto thrift store, the green jacket generated a ton of press - some of which will be included with the jacket. The jacket has also been written about multiple times since 1994, including the infamous 2007 Golf International magazine article where British model Jodie Kidd wore this green jacket - and ONLY this green jacket - on the magazine's cover.