Byron Nelson's Masters & Open Winning Used Tommy Armour 1 Iron
From Don Kepler's historical collection comes 'Iron' Byron Nelson's extraordinary and significant Masters & Open Winning Used Tommy Armour 1 Iron. 'Tommy Armour Silver Scot 1 Iron Personally Owned by Byron Nelson Used in Winning Both Open and Masters Championship' reads the string secured, but certainly aged identification tag. This is in reference to the 1937 Masters Tournament and 1939 US Open. A four-digit registration number such as 1180 was reserved for professional golfers at the time. Upon studying the accompanying lot photos, noticeable right away is welcomed wear and aging on the head of this prized club. This includes, but is not limited to, Nelson's 'sweet spot' on the lower center face and some finish worn off of the head's backside.
In only the fourth playing of The Masters Tournament and the final in which it was titled 'The Augusta National Invitation Tournament' Byron Nelson gained six shots on three-round leader Ralph Guldahl in just two holes (12th & 13th) to win the tournament by a pair. It would be this tournament in which the Nelson Bridge would be awarded for, traveling over Rae's Creek on Augusta National's 13th. It is quite difficult to photo-match golf clubs from this time period, however we were able to add this final photo of Nelson with his iron set at the 1937 Masters. Matches include the rope grip, back cavity stepdown, 'Tourney' and a 'reg. no' on the left and right side respectively. Please examine the reference photo added to this lot. A signed Letter of Provenance from Dave Pesacov will accompany this lot. 39"
The Don Kepler Collection
"Those who knew Don understood that golfing was his life’s passion, and he was involved in the sport his whole life," the Palm Beach County Golf Association said of Don Kepler. An eventual Jupiter, Florida resident and golf coach for both our consignor David Pesacov and PGA Tour major champion Mark Calcavecchia, Kepler attended Bowling Green State University where he was on the Men's Golfing and Swimming Teams. Excelling at everything he did, including serving for his country in the US Marine Corps during the Korean War, Kepler was inducted into the BGSU Athletic Hall of Fame for both sports in 1972. In addition to instruction and his own golf career, he opened 'Kepler's Clubs' in the 1970's to become one of the best club repairmen in Palm Beach County. Don was a long time proud member of the National Golf Club Collectors Society, where his passion for the history of the game, and his connections with many of South Florida‘s most influential golfers allowed him to obtain many of these historical items. Without further ado, it is our distinct honor to offer Don Kepler's collection.
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