One avid Tiger Woods fan has acquired a special piece of the golf superstar's clothing collection. The memorabilia didn't come cheap, however, after it recently sold for a six-figure sum at auction.
The piece in question was Woods' red polo shirt from the final day of the 2010 Masters. The 46-year-old ended up finishing fourth as Phil Mickelson went on to win his most favoured major, but it's the added significance of that shirt in particular that's attracted extra interest.
That's because the 2010 Masters was Woods' first competition following his Thanksgiving 2009 car crash and the revelations regarding his infidelity while married to ex-wife Elin Nordegren. It's also the only one of Woods' Sunday red polos from a Masters Tournament that's gone on sale as far as auctioneers could tell, which helps explain how it sold for an eye-watering £112,705 ($139,348.80).
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“Game-worn sports memorabilia, especially items photo-matched to a memorable moment or historic event, are setting records all around the world this year,” Golden Age Auctions co-founder Ryan Carey told Golf Digest when the shirt was first placed up for bidding in November.
“A Michael Jordan jersey recently sold for £8million ($10.1m) at Sotheby’s, and a Diego Maradona soccer jersey recently sold for £7.5m ($9.3m). We believe this is the only Sunday red from a Masters Tournament that has been auctioned, and the others might not surface.”
Woods has won at Augusta on five occasions, his most successful record in any of the four majors. His tally of Green Jackets is second only to Jack Nicklaus, whose six victories in Georgia were won across a 23-year span.
The gargantuan sale is all the more timely considering we may be witnessing Woods' final days as a pro. The veteran's playing career was threatened following a California car crash in February 2021, which saw him suffer serious injuries to his leg and foot.
Woods recently opened up on his difficulties getting around courses without the aid of a buggy, which is prohibited at PGA Tour events. The 15-time major champion can contend just fine with a club in his hands, but it's making his way around venues that's a problem.
"The goal is to play the majors and maybe one or two more. Physically, that's all I can do. I don't have much left in this leg," he told reporters in November. "I can hit whatever shot you want, I just can't walk. I've had a few setbacks throughout the year, that I was somehow still able to play through. But this one, I just can't. Only time can heal this one."
His Sunday red from the 2010 Masters isn't even the most expensive piece of Woods memorabilia to sell of late. The Titleist ball used to make a hole-in-one during his professional debut at the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open sold at auction for £150,000 ($186,000) just last month.
