“Annika Sorenstam ‘59’ Scorecard”:
Annika Sorenstam cemented her membership into the “59 Club” by shooting the lowest round in the history of the LPGA – a 13-under 59 – during the second round of the 2001 Standard Register Ping in Phoenix, Arizona. At the time, no other golfer on the LPGA Tour had recorded a better score than 61, a mark she shared with fellow Hall of Famers Se Ri Pak and Karrie Webb. Now 19 years later, Sorenstam remains the only women to have ever shot a 59 in professional competition.
1973 U.S. Open License Plate:
License plate from a courtesy car used by Johnny Miller – champion of the 1973 U.S. Open – signed by fellow Hall of Fame members Billy Casper, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, and tournament runner-up John Schlee. Miller shot a record 8-under-par 63 on Sunday, overcoming a six-stroke deficit on his way to his first Major Championship victory. Miller’s round – which featured eight birdies, one bogey and 18 greens made in regulation– is widely regarded as the best final round performance in U.S. Open history, as well as one of the best final rounds of any Major Championship.
“Jack Nicklaus” by Andy Warhol:
As part of his 1977 Athlete Series, pop artist Andy Warhol painted some of the biggest stars in sports at the time including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Dorothy Hammill, Muhammed Ali, O.J. Simpson, Chris Evert, and of course, Jack Nicklaus. Warhol spent two years photographing each of the athletes with a Polaroid Big Shot camera, taking roughly sixty images per athlete, and completed the project with a total of four versions of each athlete. During one of their sessions, Warhol referred to Nicklaus’s golf club as a stick, leading the 18-time Major Champion to question if Warhol knew what he was doing.
Retief Goosen Golf Outfit:
While playing golf with his cousin Henri in South Africa, 15-year-old Retief Goosen was wearing these clothes when he nearly died after being struck by a bolt of lightning. Henri ran to a nearby hole for help, and fortunately one of the golfers was a doctor who administered CPR to Goosen. After six days of recuperation, Goosen overcame the lightning strike to become one of the best golfers of the 2000s. He electrified the sport by winning 37 times as a professional, including U.S. Open championships in 2001 and 2004.
Nick Price Locker Room Key:
At the 1978 Open Championship in St Andrews, Scotland, Nick Price retained his locker room key on the off chance he would never play the Old Course again and decided to keep the key to his locker from the Old Course locker room as a memento. Defying the odds, Price developed into one of the all-time greats, winning three Major Championships, including the 1994 Open Championship, and although he would return to St Andrews for The Open five more times during his Hall of Fame career, he never returned the key.
Lloyd Mangrum’s Half Dollar Bill:
Prior to the D-Day Invasion of Normandy during World War II, Lloyd Mangrum and a friend tore a dollar bill in half with the promise that one day they would reunite the two pieces. Sadly, tragedy ensued with the death of his friend sometime during the war. Mangrum would have the same torn dollar in his pocket when he hoisted the 1946 U.S. Open championship trophy, despite sustaining severe combat injuries which earned him two Purple Hearts.
Charlie Sifford PGA of America Tour Card:
Charlie Sifford made history in the early 1960s when he became the first African American to break the color barrier on the PGA TOUR. Due to the Caucasian-only clause in the bylaws of the Professional Golfers’ Association of America, as a black man Sifford had not been permitted to become an official member or enter tournaments on the PGA TOUR. After receiving an invitation to play in the Greensboro Open in April 1961, Sifford became the first African American to play in a PGA tournament in the South and by the end of the year, the Caucasian-only clause became a thing of the past.
Juli Inkster Solheim Cup Hard Hat:
As captain of the 2017 United States Solheim Cup team, Juli Inkster passed out hard hats to every player on her team as a reminder of the blue-collar work ethic they would need to win against Europe. Inkster employed this tactic during her first captaincy in 2015, when she gave lunch pails to her team prior to the Solheim Cup in Germany. Losers of the previous two Solheim Cups in 2011 and 2013, Inkster’s gestures imparted the importance of substance over style, and this work paid off as her teams won back-to-back Cups and nearly pulled off a three-peat – with construction vests – in 2019.
Larry Nelson Army Dress Coat:
Larry Nelson, who served in the Army during the Vietnam War, did not actually pick up the game of golf until after he left the service in 1968. A 20-year-old at the time he was drafted into the Army, Nelson served in the infantry and was introduced to golf by a fellow soldier named Ken Hummel. Upon his return, he devoted time to learning the game while finishing college, and within nine months of picking up the sport, Nelson broke 70 for the first time.
Ray Floyd Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat:
An avid Chicago Cubs fan, the team issued Raymond Floyd a baseball bat with the engraving “Masters 1976 Champion” following his eight-stroke victory at Augusta National. Floyd was a promising young baseball talent and had the opportunity to sign with a Major League Baseball team, but instead chose to pursue a career in golf. His friendship with Cubs manager Leo Durocher and team trainer Yosh Kawano opened doors for Floyd with the Cubs and he became their unofficial team “club pro,” often throwing batting practice and keeping his own locker at Wrigley Field.
Sam Snead Lunch Box:
Childhood lunch box belonging to Sam Snead, who grew up in Ashwood, Virginia, as the youngest of six children and began caddying by the age of seven. He learned to play golf by watching his brother, Homer, hit balls on the family farm. Soon after he fashioned his own set of clubs out of swamp maple limbs, caddied at the Homestead Hotel Golf Course in Hot Springs, becoming the assistant golf pro before turning 20, and by 24 joined the PGA TOUR.
1999 Ryder Cup shirt:
Featuring group portraits from previous winning U.S. Ryder Cup teams, the much-maligned Sunday shirt reached iconic status after captain Ben Crenshaw’s team came from behind to win the “Battle of Brookline.” Facing a 10-6 deficit heading into Sunday, in order to win the Ryder Cup, the U.S. had to mount the greatest comeback in the history of the competition. They did just that – while wearing these shirts – by capturing 8 ½ out of 12 possible points to win 14 ½ to 13 ½ over Europe.
Nancy Lopez’s Barbie Doll:
As a young girl, Nancy Lopez’s father Domingo would dangle the prospect of a new Barbie doll for his daughter if she won a golf tournament. Although she started playing golf at the age of eight, Lopez still enjoyed playing with her Barbie dolls as well. Up until about the time she turned 12, the possibility of getting a new doll for playing well provided Lopez the motivation she needed to win out on the golf course.
JoAnne Carner Solheim Cup Rally Cap:
With her team tied 5-5 heading into Singles on Day 3, 1994 U.S. Solheim Cup team captain JoAnne Carner doffed this star-spangled rally cap as her team took eight out of 10 available points to capture the Cup. Carner, who was affectionately known as “Big Momma,” brought a much-needed light, but highly structured, atmosphere to the U.S. team after it lost to Europe by five points in 1992. Under her steady hand, the U.S. rallied from a 3 to 2 deficit after the first day on its way to a decisive 13 to 7 victory.
Tom Kite 1992 U.S. Open Doll:
With his distinctive visor, glasses, and red sweater, Tom Kite created a lasting memory at Pebble Beach when he won the 1992 U.S. Open, inspiring a fan to create this doll in his likeness. Kite officially put to rest doubters who questioned if he could ever win “The Big One.” Holing his chip shot from the rough on the 7th hole provided the signature moment for his victory, and the red sweater/white visor look against the backdrop of Pebble Beach created one of golf’s most memorable Sunday outfits.
Ken Venturi U.S. Open Crystal Trophy:
The only trophy made of its kind by Waterford Crystal in recognition of Ken Venturi’s win at the 1964 U.S. Open and for his humanitarian work on behalf of the handicapped in Ireland and the United States. Venturi memorably won the 1964 U.S. Open at Congressional Country Club despite battling severe dehydration. Overcoming a severe stuttering problem as a child helped inform Venturi’s philanthropic nature, and he contributed to charities for abused women and children, mentally handicapped, and the blind.
