19th Hole

Golf balls dating back to 1840 create bidding war at auction

Published

4 years ago

Sep 7, 2022

Enthusiasts will pay for the chance to own and collect part of their love, and golf die-hards are no different.

Earlier this year, GolfWRX reported on an auction of clubs used at the ‘Tiger Slam’ and, at the end of August, Golf Digest covered the sale of “some of the rarest, most valuable and historic balls ever produced.”

So said golf historian Jeff Ellis about the auction of over 75 antique golf balls, in a bidding war open to anyone until September 17th.

Listed as part of the Desert Mountain Collection, notable collector and auctioneer Ellis told Golf Digest, “I’ve not seen a collection of historic golf balls like this come out to the market in one shot in a long time,” and with seven of the series already shooting past the $1000 opening bid, the publicity is sure to keep the price moving in one direction.

Currently, number one in the bidding is Lot #11, the ‘Globe Map of the World Ball’ from 1908. Listed as, “made as a miniature globe, complete with labeled continents, oceans, and a few other places such as the North Pole, New Zealand, Britain, and Japan.” Indeed, “when this ball was introduced by J. P. Cochrane in 1908, it was so creative that it was immediately seen as destined for museums.”

As I write, Lot #11 is at $5053, whilst just behind are Lot #3 and Lot #1, both illustrating the work and bearing the names of their legendary makers – Allan Robertson and Tom Morris.

The Robertson ‘Featherball’ dates from circa 1840, and has never been used, still bearing the maker’s stamp and reference number – 29 – the weight and size.

Ellis told the publication that, “To find a mint ball like this is a real treasure,” before adding that the owner “just had an appreciation of the game of golf and its equipment as it was played early in the 19th century and before.”

At just under $3800, Lot #1 may seem a relative bargain, especially given the circumstances in which it came into production.

The auction site state that, “After years of working with Allan Robertson and perfecting the intricate art of making feather balls, he [Morris] successfully navigated their eventual demise by embracing the gutta-percha ball in both work and play.”

The ball is hand-hammered with details from the pen of Morris himself and, “all things considered, this ball is dripping with history, in outstanding original condition with the name stamp clearly visible, and would be a cornerstone addition to any golf collection anywhere in the world. No name from the 19th century is bigger than that of Old Tom Morris, and Morris-stamped balls are far more rare than Morris-stamped clubs.”

Ellis added a human side to the obvious sales pitch.

“It’s dang rare,” he said. “Its imperfections are authentic. The imperfections are what makes it real. What’s remarkable about this ball is its condition. You can find others that might have that T.MORRIS stamping but some of the letters are missing. The character of the ball, everything about it, has great age.”To put the lot into context with its market rival, Ellis explained:

“There are a lot more Allan Robertson feather balls out there than there are Tom Morris hand-hammered gutta percha balls. So that is going to be the defining motivation for the bids, its rarity.”

There is plenty more on offer, from putters to medals, from irons to tees, and currently there are 25 lots without a bid.

Get along to Jeff Ellis Auctions to grab yourself a piece of golf history.

How much each player won at the 2026 Masters

Published

1 month ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Rory McIlroy made it two wins in as many years at Augusta National, seeing off the challengers on a dramatic Sunday to slip on the green jacket once again. The victory earned Rory a whopping payday of $4.5 million, with Scottie Scheffler his closest challenger earning $2.43 million for his sole runner-up finish.

With a total prize purse of $22.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 Masters tournament.

For players that did not make the cut, they still earned $25k for their efforts at the year’s opening major.

1: Rory McIlroy, $4.5 million
2: Scottie Scheffler, $2.43 million
T3: Tyrrell Hatton, $1.08 million
T3: Russell Henley, $1.08 million
T3: Justin Rose, $1.08 million
T3: Cameron Young, $1.08 million
T7: Collin Morikawa, $725,625
T7: Sam Burns, $725,625
T9: Xander Schauffele, $630,00
T9: Max Homa, $630,00
11: Jake Knapp, $562,500
T12: Jordan Spieth, $427,500
T12: Brooks Koepka, $427,500
T12: Hideki Matsuyama, $427,500
T12: Patrick Reed, $427,500
T12: Patrick Cantlay, $427,500
T12: Jason Day, $427,500
T18: Viktor Hovland, $315,000
T18: Maverick McNealy, $315,000
T18: Matt Fitzpatrick, $315,000
T21: Keegan Bradley, $252,000
T21: Ludvig Aberg, $252,000
T21: Wyndham Clark, $252,000
T24: Matt McCarty, $182,083
T24: Adam Scott, $182,083
T24: Sam Stevens, $182,083
T24: Chris Gotterup, $182,083
T24: Michael Brennan, $182,083
T24: Brian Campbell, $182,083
T30: Alex Noren, $146,250
T30: Harris English, $146,250
T30: Shane Lowry, $146,250
T33: Gary Woodland, $121,500
T33: Dustin Johnson, $121,500
T33: Brian Harman, $121,500
T33: Tommy Fleetwood, $121,500
T33: Ben Griffin, $121,500
T38: Jon Rahm, $105,750
T38: Ryan Gerard, $101,250
T38: Haotong Li, $96,750
T41: Justin Thomas, $92,250
T41: Sepp Straka, $87,750
T41: Jacob Bridgeman, $83,250
T41: Kristoffer Reitan, $78,750
T41: Nick Taylor, $74,250
46: Sungjae Im, $69,750
47: Si Woo Kim, $65,250
48: Aaron Rai, $61,650
T49: Corey Conners, $57,600
T49: Marco Penge, $57,600
51: Kurt Kitayama, $55,250
52: Sergio Garcia, $54,000
53: Rasmus Hojgaard, $52,650
54: Charl Schwartzel, $51,300

19th Hole

CBS’s Sunday Masters coverage slammed by golf fans

Published

1 month ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

While Sunday was a dramatic day at the Masters, many golf fans were left feeling frustrated by the CBS final round coverage.

There were plenty of moments that golf fans took to social media to air their frustrations on Sunday over, including a lack of shots being shown throughout the day, being behind the live action, confusion over the approach shots of the final group on 18, and providing an angle for the winning putt where the cup couldn’t be seen.

Here’s a look at some of the criticisms that were directed at the CBS coverage throughout the day on X:

This has been a brutal broadcast for CBS. When the folks from Augusta sit down with them this year, you can bet they’ll talk about this 15 seconds where we have no idea where Rory’s ball went, and Dottie moans. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/ak3mkpIN7V

— Ryan (@PossiblyRy) April 12, 2026

It’s rare criticism coming in for CBS, who are usually heavily praised for their Masters coverage each year.

19th Hole

The surprise club Tommy Fleetwood says is key to his Masters chances

Published

1 month ago

Apr 7, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Tommy Fleetwood goes in search for the first major victory of his career again this week, with the Englishman proving to be a popular pick at Augusta National.

Fleetwood’s best showing at Augusta came back in 2024 where he finished T3, and while speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, the 35-year-old emphasized the importance of his 9-wood in his pursuit of the green jacket.

Speaking on Tuesday to media, Fleetwood said:

“It’s a great 9-wood golf course. I think it’s always been — I can’t remember when I first put like a 9-wood in or a high lofted club, but it’s a perfect like 9-wood golf course. I’ve had that in the bag for a few years.”

The Englishman continued, revealing that his strategy for the week won’t just be to hit driver off the tee as much as possible:

“Yeah, it’s funny really because I know Augusta is probably associated with being fairly forgiving off the tee in a way, so you think you can whale around driver a little bit. But I don’t necessarily think that’s always the play for me. I think there’s holes that set up really well where I can draw it with the mini driver if I’m feeling less comfortable with the driver and things like that.”

That strategy he believes will make his TaylorMade Qi10 9-wood extra critical this week in Georgia:

“The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me. If I can put myself in position on the par-5s or the 4th long par-3, like it — for me, I can’t really hit that high 4-iron, so 9-wood helps me a lot.”