2016 July Memorabilia Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/31/2016
Gene Littler 1953 US Amateur at Oklahoma City GC Championship Used Golf Ball
In 1953 Gene Littler competed against a field of 200 of the finest amateur golfers in the world which included Charles Coe, Joe Carr, Harvie Ward and Frank Stranahan assembled at Oklahoma City Golf and Country Club for the United States Golf Association's Amateur Championship. After six days of match play Littler prevailed with a one up victory, concluding the all-square match with a 20-foot Championship claiming birdie putt, at the 18th hole. On this memorable day in '53, Gene Littler played a Spalding Red Dot #2. Added to the ball in vintage black ballpoint ink has been the wording "LITTLER" with Ralph Hutchison's glue mark for display also apparent. This ball of great historical, significance coming from a United States Amateur Championship bears consistent player use over the surface of the ball. A joyous Littler in the post victory celebration gave this treasure from his earliest golfing National Championship to long time U.S.G.A. 18th hole announcer Ralph Hutchison (For more detail on Hutchison and the words of Jack Nicklaus describing Hutchison's request for Jack's final putt ball at the 1963 Masters please read on) (Also please see photos attached to this lot which show Ralph Hutchison with Arnie /Winnie Palmer, Ben Hogan and Bobby Jones). Please place your bid, as there is not a golf collection in the world that would not benefit from the addition of this significant one of a kind collectible.
RALPH HUTCHISON COLLECTION OF CHAMPIONSHIP USED GOLF BALLS--Who is Ralph Hutchison? How did he acquire these historically significant golf balls? Ralph Hutchison, whose great-Uncle was golf Hall of Famer Jock Hutchison grew up in the Oklahoma City area with Jack Grout (the primary instructor of Jack Nicklaus), although Nicklaus would call Hutchison "my second favorite teacher". Hutchison in 1931 became a golf professional and worked under Tommy Armour and Ed Dudley. When Dudley was named the first head professional at the Augusta National Golf Club, he took along Hutchison as his first assistant."Hutch" held this position from 1932-35 a time period which saw him meet Bobby Jones with the two becoming close friends. So close, that Jones recommended Hutchinson in '35 for the Head Pro's job at Saucon Valley in Bethlehem, PA. He held the position for over 39 years while still competing during his early career with appearances in PGA tournaments primarily in the Winter Tour.
During this time period he reunited to travel by car to the various tournament stops with Jack Grout and a third young aspiring pro by the name of Ben Hogan (confirmed by Hogan in one of his few later life TV interviews with CBS in 1983). In 1945, Hutchinson reached the quarter finals of the PGA Championship falling to Claude Harmon. This performance however earned him an invite to play in the 1946 Masters. In 1947, the Augusta National was taking the first steps to better keep fans in the know of play on the course as they installed the first field scoreboards. A conversation from the year before, at the Masters, between Hutchinson and his old friend Bobby Jones led to "Hutch" being positioned at the 18th green as an announcer. As the players approached the 18th Hutchinson would greet them, following up after they putted out with an announcement of what they shot for that day and for the tournament. He carried this position at the Masters through 1971 along with his additional tournament duties on the rules and pairings committees.
In addition to the Masters as both player and announcer, Hutchison also combined for this same unique combo at the U.S. Open playing in six events while serving the U.S.G.A. as it's 18th hole announcer at 15 other Open Championships. With all of this major golf experience, and personal relationships with the top players of the game Ralph Hutchison developed a sense for preserving the history of the game. This is bore out in the words of Jack Nicklaus from his 1997 autobiography page 105. Nicklaus describes his 1963 first Masters win, "As I'd walked onto the eighteenth green, the announcer there, Ralph Hutchison, had asked me to save the ball if I won and give it to Bob Jones. When the winning putt dropped, I just had to throw something, so I whipped off my cap and slung it to the crowd. At the ceremony a little later, Mr. Jones and I made an exchange. After he and the previous year's champion Arnold Palmer, had presented me with my green jacket, I gave Bob the ball. It was a small thing, but the look in his eyes remains one of the most emotional memories of my life." So Bobby Jones got the winning ball in 1963 from Jack Nicklaus not Ralph Hutchinson, but "Hutch" got plenty of others for his collection in the same manor. It is a great honor for The Golf Auction to present to the collecting world historical Championship balls from Ralph Hutchinson's days as the 18th hole announcer at both the Masters and U.S.G.A. Championships. These include Ben Hogan's from his 1948 and 1953 U.S. Open wins, Dick Mayer's from his 1957 U.S. Open win, along with Sam Snead's from his 1954 Masters and 1951 PGA Championship wins.
Please note: This auction will end at 7:00pm EST on Sunday, JULY 31st with EXTENDED BIDDING to follow. All items in the auction will remain open until no items have received a bid within a 15 minute time period. All lots are free to be bid on until extended bidding has ended
Click above for larger image.