Francis Ouimet Collection

No single person has had a greater impact on the game of golf in America than Francis Ouimet. Though gaining in popularity, golf was still a fringe sport until a 20 year old Francis Ouimet shocked the world by winning the 1913 US Open. It was front page news throughout the country. Ten years after Ouimet’s surprise victory, the number of golfers in the United States had tripled, and hundreds of new golf courses had been built.

All it took was a largely unknown caddie from Brookline, Massachusetts defeating the greatest golfers in the world.

Ouimet’s collection of golf medals, trophies, and memorabilia was acquired by the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund after Ouimet’s death in 1967. Many of these relics were displayed in the Francis Ouimet Museum that was in Weston, MA from 1984-2002, but have been sitting in storage ever since. Collectors often point to the dearth of quality Ouimet memorabilia in the collecting market. Well, with this auction, that’s about to change...

Now, approximately 50 years after it first took possession, the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund has chosen to auction its entire collection of Francis Ouimet medals and trophies. Francis Ouimet himself often said “…of all the things I have accomplished, I am proudest of the establishment of the Ouimet Scholarship Fund.” Money raised by this sale will go towards the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund’s primary objective - providing scholarships so that deserving young men and women who have worked at golf courses can obtain a college education.

Francis Ouimet's 1913 US Open Gold Medal

Green Jacket Auctions is proud, and enormously grateful, to present to the collecting community an item of incomparable historical importance - an official Francis Ouimet 1913 US Open gold medal. This gold medal is the single greatest artifact to ever reach the auction block from the most significant tournament in American golf history. 

Two official USGA gold medals exist from Ouimet's 1913 US Open victory. One, the initial one produced, was loaned by the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund to the USGA in 1984, and is perhaps the USGA's most prized possession. In exchange, the USGA produced this official duplicate gold medal for the 1913 US Open. The 1913 US Open medal was then on display at the Francis Ouimet Museum in Weston, MA from 1984 to 2002. Quite significantly, both medals -the offered example and the one in the USGA museum - are engraved with the names of not only Ouimet, but also his playoff foes - Harry Vardon and Ted Ray.

Simply put, there are very few pieces of golf memorabilia in private collections that could possibly rival Francis Ouimet's 1913 US Open gold medal. No trophies were ever produced for the US Open in 1913, so none exist. Therefore, this is not only the most significant relic to emerge from the 1913 US Open, it is almost certainly the most important such piece that will ever be offered. 1 3/4", approximately 10k gold. 

Letter of Provenance from the Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund