Green Jacket Auctions released the trophy for public bidding towards the end of November, starting at $50,000. 17 offers later an unknown bidder is now the proud owner of the incredible piece. This marks the second highest price ever paid for golf memorabilia. The first was also auctioned by the Green Jacket company, who sold Horton Smith’s 1936 Masters jacket for $682,229 in 2013.
The trophy, a sterling silver replica of the clubhouse at Augusta National was intended to be showcased at a museum at Bay Creek Golf Club. The museum never happened and the owners then sold the trophy to a third party without the knowledge of the Palmer family.
In a statement on the Green Jacket website the family said it was “disappointed” that the trophy was being sold,
“It was always Arnold’s intention that this trophy would be placed in an appropriate museum or institution with which he was personally associated. We hope that the winning bidder in this auction will allow the trophy to be publicly displayed so that it can be appreciated by fans of Arnold Palmer for years to come.”
This Arnold Palmer Masters Trophy sold for $444,012 last night at auction, proving the King still has the magic touch. @BidGreenJacket pic.twitter.com/SGJRUKQn0W
— Alex Miceli (@alexmiceli) December 11, 2016