LOT CLOSED 4/8/2012 - NO FURTHER BIDDING

Art Wall's 1959 Masters Champion's Green Jacket

        The saying goes that lightning never strikes twice, but here we are yet again with a “once-in-a-lifetime” opportunity to offer an original Masters Champion’s Green Jacket.        

        Even casual golf fans know the story – Masters Champions are only allowed to bring their Green Jackets home for one year, and must return the jacket to Augusta National when they arrive to defend their title. Other than that, all Green Jackets must remain at Augusta National Golf Club with no exceptions.

         In truth, however, that oft-repeated myth is based in reality but is wrought with exceptions to the general rule.

        Augusta National was not always so protective over its Green Jackets. For instance, all Champions prior to 1961 were allowed to keep their Green Jackets and have never been required to return their jackets to the club. [See Green Jacket Auctions’ Summer 2010 sale of 1957 Masters Champion Doug Ford’s Green Jacket for $63,000. That jacket was then loaned by our winning bidder to the World Golf Hall of Fame for Doug Ford’s 2011 induction into the Hall of Fame].

        Offered in this auction is the original Green Jacket awarded to the late Art Wall, Jr. for winning the 1959 Masters Tournament. Like all first-time Masters Champs, Wall wore a stock jacket during the Green Jacket ceremony immediately following his win. He was then fitted for a jacket, and this very Green Jacket was manufactured for Wall on May 7, 1959 - just a month after Wall’s dramatic victory over Arnold Palmer and Cary Middlecoff. This Green Jacket was made by Hart, Schaffner & Marx (same producer as Doug Ford's 1957 Green Jacket) since the current preferred Green Jacket maker Hamilton didn't begin manufacturing Green Jackets til a decade later.

        Like all Champions' Green Jackets starting in either 1958 or 1959 (and continuing to this day), Wall’s name has been beautifully embroidered in cursive in gold thread on the inside of the jacket. The jacket also contains a “name plate” patch bearing Wall’s name, and the manufacturer’s tag on the inside right breast pocket also contains Wall’s name, as well as the jacket’s manufacturing information. The Wall family would like us to mention that this jacket is not being sold by the family.

        The winning bidder of this auction will also receive a detailed letter of authenticity from Green Jacket Auctions.

LOT CLOSED 4/8/2012 - NO FURTHER BIDDING