Horton Smith’s Green Jacket Found?

I didn’t know it was missing, but apparently Horton Smith’s original Masters Green Jacket has surfaced after a long hiatus.

As it turns out, a distant relative of Smith has had it in a closet for years, not realizing its value or that it was considered “lost” (that makes at least two of us).

The jacket now is up for auction. I wouldn’t be surprised if Augusta National ends up as the winner.

A press release is below:

TAMPA, Florida (August 23, 2013) – Long believed lost forever, the first
Masters Tournament Champion Horton Smith’s Green Jacket has been found,
and is expected to fetch over $100,000 at auction next week.

Last month, golf memorabilia auction house Green Jacket Auctions received a
call that it knew would immediately send shockwaves throughout the golf
community. Said the caller: “I think my family has something that people
have been looking for.” Sure enough, hanging in the back of a closet in
San Jose, California was one of golf’s Holy Grails – the original Green
Jacket from 1934 & 1936 Masters Champion Horton Smith.

The Masters Tournament began awarding Green Jackets to its Champions at the
1949 Masters when newly minted Champ Sam Snead and the 9 previous Masters
Winners were first given their jackets. These so-called “Original 10”
Green Jackets are among the most coveted pieces of modern golf history –
the bulk of which are owned by Augusta National Golf Club or the World Golf
Hall of Fame. But the Green Jacket awarded to the first Masters Champion,
Horton Smith, has been “lost” for decades. As it turns out, a distant
relative of Horton Smith owns the jacket, which his family kept tucked away
in a closet for many years – never knowing that the golf world was even
searching for it until recently.

Inaugural Masters Tournament Champion Horton’s Smith’s Green Jacket is
currently up for auction on http://www.GreenJacketAuctions.com. Early bidding on
the jacket surpassed $60,000 within 24 hours of the auction commencing. The
jacket is expected to fetch in excess of $100,000.00 – making it among the
highest prices ever paid for a piece of golf memorabilia.

About the Auction

Green Jacket Auctions’ Summer Golf Auction is currently open for bidding
and will conclude on Saturday, September 7, 2013. The auction features
almost 400 lots of rare golf memorabilia. Auction items, including the
Green Jacket, are available for photos and viewing in New Jersey. For more
details, visit http://www.GreenJacketAuctions.com

Other auction highlights:

The Oldest Known Golf Scorecard from 1822 – Estimate: $5,000+

Original Programs from 1934 and 1935 Masters Tournament – Estimate:
$10,000+ Each

About Green Jacket Auctions, Inc.

Green Jacket Auctions, with offices in Tampa, FL and Denville, NJ, is the
largest online golf antiques and memorabilia auction house in the world. It
hosts quarterly auctions of rare golf memorabilia, which are participated in
by collectors and institutions in over 50 countries.

Contact: Ryan Carey, President 813.504.3935 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Bob Zafian, VP of Acquisitions 973.627.5133 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)