With Tiger Woods bursting onto the scene, demand for badges to the 1997 Masters Tournament was at an all-time high. Nike, which was new to golf but wanted to send its employees to watch newly signed superstar Tiger Woods, was reportedly paying $10,000 per badge. This caused severe issues that had such a ripple effect that a ticket broker even committed suicide after not being able to honor his commitments. 

All of that history is important to understand the true rarity of the 1997 Masters Badge offered in this lot. This badge is brand new in its original plastic. How on earth did a single 1997 Masters Badge go unused? Well, we don't have answers but the collecting community is certainly grateful that this beauty exists.