We've been waiting for this moment...

This week marks the 100th anniversary of Walter Hagen's victory at the 1924 Open Championship. To celebrate, we are pleased to offer one of the most significant golf artifacts to ever hit the auction block - Walter Hagen's 1924 Open Championship gold medal.

Hagen won the 1924 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool (Hoylake) for his 2nd of 4 Open wins, and 5th of an eventual 11 Major Championship victories. 

Today, Hagen’s 11 professional Majors places him third on the all-time list of Major champions, behind only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. It's safe to say that none of Tiger or Jack's gold medals will ever reach the collector market - making this Hagen medal among the finest in private hands. 

The first gold medal was awarded at the 1872 Open Championship - technically predating the Claret Jug, which was not ready in time for the 1872 Open. Only a scant few Open Championship gold medals have ever reached the collector market, but a vast majority of them were acquired by benefactors of the R&A and the British Golf Museum, where almost all of them currently reside. 

This gold medal from Walter Hagen's 1924 Open Championship victory at Royal Liverpool is among the finest Major Championship gold medals still in a private collection.  

 The accompanying image shows Hagen at the 1924 Open awards ceremony, with the Royal Liverpool clubhouse in the background and the gold medal waiting for him on the table. The medal is hallmarked 18k gold by famed Walker & Hall in Sheffield England in 1923. Like Hagen's 1928 Open medal, this medal was never engraved with Hagen's name, which is very common in that era, as engraving was the responsibility of the Champion until 1968. 1 5/8" diameter, 18 karat gold, weighs 2.19 ounces.