Private equity investor Todd Brock bought himself a piece of golf history in 2010 when he acquired the clubs Tiger Woods used during his famous Tiger Slam, winning four consecutive major tournaments (2000 U.S. Open, Open Championship, PGA Championship and 2001 Masters).
Brock paid a solid $57,242 for the Titleist 681-T iron and wedge set. Those same exact clubs went back up for auction over the weekend and proved a worthy investment. According to Golden Age Auctions, the Tiger Slam clubs sold for $5,156,162.40.
Here’s how Golden Age described the lot:
“In the 12 years since they first surfaced in the collector market in our 2010 auction, the Tiger Slam irons have been displayed privately in a Houston office complex – appreciated only by the occasional visitor with a passing interest in golf. Over the past several years, we have repeatedly pleaded with Brock to let us showcase them to the world. Yes, the collector market has matured a lot since the dark days of 2010. But it was never about the money, even though these clubs will likely reset the record books. Instead, it was about timing. When was the collector market finally ready to appreciate the value of the very best golf collectibles, and ready to appropriately appreciate Tiger Woods and his position in history.
“…This set includes 2-PW Titleist Forged irons and two custom Vokey wedges. The wedges are both stamped ‘TIGER’. The 58 degree wedge is bent to 56 degrees and hand stamped ’56*’. The wear mark on the face of the 8 iron is otherworldly.”
It’s unclear who bought the clubs, but that winner will have to fight the overwhelming temptation to take a few swings with them. Not at the rate those irons are increasing in value. No birdie opportunity is worth that much cash.
