Tony Jacklin's
1987 Ryder Cup Ceramic Trophy
TONY JACKLIN COLLECTION

Tony Jacklin was the most celebrated British golfer of his generation. He was the first European player to win on the U.S. tour since the 1920s with his victory at the 1968 Jacksonville Open Invitational.  Jacklin then went on to win the 1969 Open Championship and 1970 U.S. Open. Even so, Jacklin is likely even more well-known today for his involvement in the Ryder Cup. He participated in 7 consecutive Ryder Cup Matches as a player, and then went on to Captain the European team 4 more times. It is his role as Ryder Cup Captain for which he is most revered in Britain. Jacklin led his team to its first victory in 28 years at the 1985 Ryder Cup, and then shocked the world by leading Europe to victory again in 1987 - Europe’s first-ever victory on U.S. soil. His career also included “the Concession” at the 1969 Ryder Cup, and an induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2002.

Tony Jacklin's 1987 Ryder Cup Ceramic Trophy

We at Green Jacket Auctions have a Love-Hate relationship with this trophy. Without question, it may be the most beautiful Ryder Cup trophy ever produced. And since less than 30 were produced, it is also one of the most rare. With that said, our history with this trophy is spotty at best. Simply put, this is the single most fragile piece of golf memorabilia that we’ve ever encountered. Don’t even bother looking at our archived auctions for the one we sold in 2011 for $7,173 – as that trophy unfortunately no longer exists; shattered into a hundred pieces during shipping.

But this time is different.

This trophy is special.

This is victorious 1987 Ryder Cup Captain Tony Jacklin’s personal ceramic Ryder Cup Trophy – a gift from American Captain Jack Nicklaus. The trophy is large – 15” tall and over 8” wide at the handles - even larger than a Player Ryder Cup trophy. The trophy display magnificently, but has some cracks on the lid. From what we’ve been told, they can be repaired easily, but we have not tried as the trophy display magnificently without the repairs. The trophy is inscribed “Ryder Cup 1987 Muirfield Village Golf Club”. Less than 30 of these trophies were produced by Cybis USA – 2 of which are now part of the World Golf Hall of Fame’s collection, and 1 which is unfortunately lost forever.

Letter of Authenticity from Tony Jacklin