1949 Ryder Cup Program Signed by Robert Hudson and Lord Wardington JSA ALOA

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/4/2018

1949 Ryder Cup Program Signed by Robert Hudson and Lord Wardington

Over the history of the Ryder Cup matches (dating to 1927), no Captain other then Ben Hogan has been undefeated while serving as team Captain in three or more matches. Hogan's (3-0) victorious service to the United States squads came in the 1947, 1949, & 1967 events. The closest of these matches came in 1949 when the US squad had to rally with wins from Clayton Heafner, Chick Harbert, Jimmy Demaret and Lloyd Mangrum in the final four singles matches to secure the win for Captain Hogan at 7 to 5. These matches occurred at Ganton Golf Club in Scarborough, England and the official program measuring 10 1/8" x 8 1/8" is offered in this lot. This program comes in EX-MT condition, showing some creasing at the spine. Two autographs are found in this publication. First is John William Beaumont Pease - first Baron Wardington. He was last of the great Quaker bankers serving as Chairman of Lloyd's Bank of London and an accomplished amateur golfer. He oversaw the '49 Ryder Cup as Chairman of the British Professional Golfers Association presenting the Cup to the winning Captain as he had also done in 1937 at Ainsdale & Southport Golf Course Lancashire. He has placed his signature on page 11 of the official program. This is a seldom seen signature in the program, and Lord Wardington passed one year after the matches in 1950. Second signature found in this program is Robert Hudson (on page 25 next to photo) Honorary Secretary, 1949 American Ryder Cup Team. Hudson, a Portland grocery magnet, funded the 1947 Ryder Cup after its ten year hiatus. He underwrote both the British and American teams earning Man of the Year in 1947 by the Golf Writers Association of America. This lot which originates from Ben Hogan contains two little found signatures from men who carried immense power in early Ryder Cup affairs.

James Spence Authentication (JSA) has reviewed the signatures and their auction letter of authenticity will come with this lot.

THE BOB COFFIN COLLECTION SOURCED FROM BEN HOGAN'S PERSONAL SECRETARY SHARON RAE

Bob Coffin is a man of action, as seen by a career of public service which began 35 years ago with his election to the Nevada Assembly. From that office Coffin was the people's choice for a seat in the Nevada State Senate. After serving in that position for the length that Nevada term limitations would allow, Coffin returned to his hometown of Las Vegas where he continues to serve his constituents as a city councilman to this day. For Coffin this passion for service to his country began with a stint in the United States Army, the same branch of service that his lifelong hero Ben Hogan had served in during World War II. Coffin a student of the Hogan approach to golf, learned his lessons well, so well, that he won the 1969 Nevada Amateur Golf Championship. Following that triumph it was only natural in 1979 that the hometown Las Vegas newspaper, the Review Journal, called on Bob to write a golf column for the paper. To this day accolades continue to pour in for this highly respected man in so many arenas be it golf, military, or politics. Most recently, he was named Person of the Year by the Southern Nevada Chapter of the Professional Golfers Association and received the Charles Dick Medal of Honor Award from the United States National Guard.

This career of public service over the lifetime of Bob Coffin offers much for us to respect. We owe him gratitude, but an even larger thank you as golf collectors is due him for his action in preserving the personal ephemera which belonged to Ben and Valerie Hogan. These mementos covering various stages of their storied lives had been gifted by both Ben and Valerie to their trusted personal secretary Sharon Rae (Please see photo that accompanies this lot of Mr. Hogan and Sharon Rae). Mrs. Rae following Ben's passing in 1997 became such a vital part of Mrs. Hogan's life that she accompanied her to both Ben Hogan's tribute at the 1999 Memorial Tournament and to the dedication of the United States Golf Association's Ben Hogan room that same year. Her prominence in the lives of the Hogan's was evident when she was remembered in both Ben's will with a cash bequest and a much larger bequest in Valerie's will. As a studious collector of Hogan material Bob Coffin stayed in contact with the Rae family, and following Sharon's passing was contacted by son Andy Rae. He informed Coffin that in his garage there is "still a bunch of stuff". Coffin, the man of action, caught a plane to Texas and completed a transaction that saved the Hogan collection as sourced through Sharon Rae for the golf collecting community. The Golf Auction is pleased with so much of the prized material of the Hogan's lifetime already placed in permanent homes to be able to make this offering. We recognize that it may be the last opportunity available to offer fresh Hogan material, which contains rock solid provenance, to the collectors of arguably the greatest golfer of the 20th century but certainly one of America's most idolized and interesting people of that century.

Please note: This auction will end at 5:00pm EST on Sunday, March 4th, 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. Still the lowest rate among major golf auction houses, a buyer's premium of 17.5% for all items is now in effect. All lots are free to be bid on until extended bidding has ended.