2016 June Memorabilia Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/19/2016
Dick Mayer 1957 US Open Winner @ Inverness Championship Used Golf Ball Gifted To Ralph Hutchison
The weather in Toledo on July 16, 1957 was downright steamy with temperatures hitting 97 degrees for the 18 hole United States Golf Association playoff between Cary Middlecoff and Dick Mayer to decide that year's National Open champion. The weather was hot, but Middlecoff's play was not, as Mayer easily won the match 72-79. On this memorable day in '57, Dick Mayer played a Golfcraft 250 #3 bearing the additional STAFF stamping designating that it belonged to a member of Golfcraft's endorsement stable. Added to the ball in vintage blue ballpoint ink has been the wording "Mayer" and "57" "Open" with Hutchison's glue mark for display also apparent. This ball of great historical significance coming from a United States Open Championship bears consistent player use over the surface of the ball. A joyous Mayer in the post victory celebration gave this treasure from his finest golfing hour to long time U.S. Open 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).
The following months after a U.S. Open triumph are exciting times for its champion and endorsers. This was the case as well for Mayer, see pictured advertising which shows the Open champ with his clubs and a dozen Goldcraft 250 golf balls. 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 United States Open. These include Ben Hogan's from his 1948 and 1953 U.S. Open wins, Dick Mayer's from his 1957 U.S. Open win, and Sam Snead's from his 1954 Masters win.
Please note: This auction will end at 7:00pm EST on Sunday, JUNE 19th 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
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