1942 Hale America National Open FINAL ROUND Sunday Ticket HOGAN'S First Major WIN ? - RARE

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/24/2019

1942 Hale America National Open FINAL ROUND Sunday Ticket HOGAN'S First Major WIN ? - RARE

The Golf Auction is proud to offer our first used and second overall 1942 Hale America National Open Final Round on Sunday ticket, the tournament many golf scholars consider Ben Hogan's first Major title. When the United States entered into World War II, the United States Golf Association opted to cancel the US Open in 1942. In its place they agreed to work with the PGA and the Chicago District Golf Association to hold the Hale America National Open. This tournament was orchestrated almost identically to the US Open, with regional and sectional qualifiers, and with the biggest names in golf who were not serving in the military participating. Played at Ridgemoor Country Club just outside Chicago, Ben Hogan shot an incredible second round 62 (his low career professional round). After four rounds he finished at -17, eclipsing Jimmy Demaret by 3 strokes to win the Championship. Many consider the 1942 Hale America as a Major win, given the structure and strength of competition, and the fact that Hogan was awarded a medal identical to those awarded after the Hale America at each of his other four U.S. Open wins. Whether or not you consider the 1942 Hale America National Open a Major Championship, it definitely adds to the rich history of golf in this country. The ticket is in very good condition, with slight paper loss above the punch hole. This lot offers a significant collectible from the SUNDAY FINAL ROUND, of significant value in the golf memorabilia world for a number of reasons. Veteran golf collectors and ticket collectors alike hold this ticket in the highest regard. The scarcity is further confirmed in "Gilchrist's Guide to Golf Collectibles" which carries values for each of the U.S. Open programs including the '42 Hale America program among those at a value of $2,000 also it acknowledges among U.S. Open Contestant's badges the '42 Hale America at $1,500. Yet among Gilchrist's section on U.S. Open tickets when it comes to the 1942 Hale America it is boldly stamped NONE KNOWN. Understating what should now be obvious this Hale America material is hard to find, our fellow auctioneers PBA Galleries offered a program from the event previously and it carried a pre-auction estimate of $3,000-$5,000. Where does this ticket and the event it represents stand in golf history? We let our bidders cast a vote with their wallets in our July-August 2017 auction and they said a resounding, highly significant, with the only other Final Round ticket from this event we have seen selling for $3,980.

AUCTION CLOSING RULES:

This auction will end at 9:00pm EST Sunday, November 24th with EXTENDED BIDDING to follow. All items that have received multiple bids in the auction will remain open until no items have received a bid within a 15 minute time period (at 10pm EST, the countdown clock will be adjusted to a 5 minute interval). Place your bids now!

1. You must place your initial bids BEFORE extended bidding begins in order to bid on the item in extended bidding
2. During extended bidding, you are allowed to bid only on items you PREVIOUSLY placed a bid on.
3. All lots that are active in extended bidding will close at the same time, and those with only ONE or NO BIDS will close at 9pm EST