Golf Memorabilia Auction Winter - 15 % Buyers Premium
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/22/2009
The 1976 British Open Contestants pin was issued for player identification at the Open Championship held that year at Royal Birkdale. The simple but elegant design of the circular pin features blue-enamel with the wording 105TH OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP 1976 "PLAYER". The center of the classic pin features the crest of the Royal& Ancient Golf Club of St.Andrews under whose auspices the Championship was conducted. The 1976 Championship was notable for two Hall of Fame players colliding at the top of the leader board as they reached important stages of their memorable careers. For the 19-year-old Seve Ballesteros it was his coming out party with a three stoke lead with 17 holes to play. He showed on the Birkdale stage the daring and creativity that would lead to three future British Open and two Masters titles. For the Champion Johnny Miller it marked a triumphant end to a four-year run which placed him on the pinnacle of the game. Miller summed up the Royal Birkdale experience, "What you see is what you get at Birkdale." Followed by, "I never hit so many 1-irons in my life, because one you get the ball in the fairway at Birkdale, it's a reasonable course. But you can't scramble from the sand hills. Those places are death, and staying between them is the key at Birkdale. That's what got Seve in the last round." Well said but also what got Seve in the last round was a course record tying 66 from the veteran Johnny Miller on his last Championship run. This desired contestant's pin is presented to you in very high ex/mt-nm condition.
1976 British Open Contestants Pin
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