Gary Player, a South African golfing icon, is pursuing legal action after discovering that a replica Claret Jug he received for winning the 1974 British Open was sold at an auction without his knowledge. The replica, representing his triumph at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, was listed on Golden Age Auction’s website and sold for nearly $500,000 to an unnamed bidder on July 28. Player, known for his nine major championships including three British Open titles, strongly denied involvement in the auction. He also refuted the sale of his 1974 Masters Tournament Trophy, which the auction house claims was sold in 2021 for $523,000.
Player, now 88, expressed his displeasure in a statement posted on X, stating, “The person entrusted with ensuring the safekeeping of these items on my behalf and who was tasked with using them to enshrine my golfing achievements has done the opposite by offering them for sale without my consent and against my wishes. My legal team is taking appropriate steps to resolve this unlawful situation.”
Golden Age Auction, however, rejected Player’s claims, stating, “While Golden Age has the utmost respect for what Mr. Player accomplished as a golfer, his inaccurate statements are simply not acceptable under any circumstances.” The auction house did not elaborate on who they will be approaching to resolve the dispute.
The replica Claret Jug had an initial bid of $5,000 and garnered 39 bids across 11 days before reaching its final price of $481,068. The identity of the individual entrusted with Player’s memorabilia remains undisclosed, as does the legal team representing the golf legend in this matter.
