Clifford Roberts Signed 1960 Letter To Bobby Locke - Masters Return?
Bobby Locke was "banned" from the PGA Tour weeks after his 1949 Open championship win and not reinstated until 1951 for what was described as a "trumped up charge" by the Tour. The 1948 Masters champion Claude Harmon and others saw it from a different lens. "Locke was simply too good. They had to ban him," Harmon proclaimed to the media. Bobby Locke never returned to the PGA Tour, finding success at three Open Championships in 1950, 1952 and 1957 and 50 more tournaments during his anywhere but the United States world exploration.
At the time of this letter in 1960 after Clifford Roberts read in the 'New York Times' that Locke was involved in an auto accident, he felt it was the right time to reach out to check on Locke's well-being as well as give him an informal invitation to the 1960 Masters Tournament despite Locke's participation in only the 1952 contest since his PGA Tour ban in August of 1949. Clifford Roberts on his NYC financial firm stationary signed his full first and last name with the flowing and stylized scribe we have come accustomed to from the Augusta National Golf Club co-founder. "I was told you were planning to participate this year in the Masters Tournament. I am likewise hopeful that this is the correct interpretation. It would be wonderful to have you back at Augusta again," Roberts wrote to Locke on February 23, 1960. Locke did not return to Augusta to play in 1960 or others, with this letter (answered 4 months later by Locke, 7/3/60) adding to Bobby Locke's story that still has many unanswered questions. James Spence Authentication (JSA) has reviewed this signature and their auction letter of authenticity (ALOA) comes with this lot.
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