The year is 1996 and an up-and-coming golfer named Tiger Woods is making his professional debut at the Greater Milwaukee Open. The then-20-year-old Woods did not win the tournament but still kicked off his legacy with a bang. On the par 3 14th hole, Woods took a 6-iron and smacked it 200 yards. After a couple of bounces, it rolled in for a hole-in-one. He ended up throwing that ball into the stands. The fan that caught it is finally selling it. Tiger Woods’ Greater Milwaukee Open ball is selling for an insane amount.
Meet Bob Gustin: The Lucky Recipient Of The Ball
Nekoosa resident Bob Gustin is the lucky person who was in the right place at the right time. He set up his lawn chair at the 14th hole at Brown Deer Park Golf Course. After Woods hit the hole-in-one, the crowd begged him to toss the ball to them. Gustin’s brother-in-law had it bounce off his hands and it landed right in Gustin’s lap. At the time, the ball was worth very little but Gustin kept it and, recognizing the moment, located the PGA tournament director. The director had Woods sign it and then returned it to Gustin.
Tiger Woods’ Hole-In-One Ball Sells For Insane Amount
After 26 years of holding onto it, Gustin finally decided to sell. The ball sold for a whopping $186,000 at an auction this past weekend. To give you some perspective, tickets from the 1996 Greater Milwaukee Open have sold for $99,000. While Woods has had many wins on the PGA Tour, he only hit three hole-in-ones professionally. This is truly a unique piece, and the fact that Woods signed it made it even more valuable.
In terms of golf memorabilia, no one will ever be able to compete with Tiger Woods. Now that Woods is in the twilight of his career, expect more pieces like this to hit the auction block. Who knows what other insane prices we will see?
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