The Sunday of the Open Championship in 2000 saw Tiger Woods complete his career grand slam, or the ‘Tiger Slam’ in the most dominating manner. He was 19 under after four rounds at St. Andrews Old Course and made only three bogeys in the 72 holes. It was a sight to be seen as 230,000 people cheered for Woods’s win. And he was grateful as well, as he said, “To have the opportunity to complete the Slam at St Andrews makes it even more special.”
Exactly 22 years later, Woods bid his favorite golf course goodbye at the 2022 Open. It was an emotional moment for the 48-year-old as he walked on the Swilcan Bridge and waved his cap to the fans. Although he rarely showed emotions on the golf course, a few tears appeared in his eyes. It was because Woods was not sure if he would be able to tee up at another Open in St. Andrews, as the next one will come by 2030.
He said, “I don’t know if I will be physically able to play by then. So to me, it felt like this might have been my last British Open here at St Andrews… It felt very emotional.” And now, one of the memorabilia from the unforgettable Tiger Slam is been auctioned at the Golf Auctions. The ticket was originally sold for $39.9, and the bidding price was kept at $60. But seeing the significance of the day and after 21 bids, the ticket was sold for $676.37.
Anything related to Woods being sold for 20x its price is not new in the golf world. Just a week ago, the ticket from Woods’s 1992 match [when the 16-year-old Woods felt the most nervous ever] at the Los Angeles Open or the now Genesis Invitational was sold 300x its asking price as a buyer bought it for $8,674. But that’s not the most expensive Tiger Woods memorabilia.
Tiger Woods’s most expensive memorabilia from the 2000s
As the ticket from the 2000 Open Championship was sold for 16x its price, another memorabilia from the 2000-2001 era was sold in millions at the Golden Age Auctions. The 48-year-old won the Masters, the PGA Championship, the US Open, and the at St. Andrews with the 2-PW Titleist Forged Irons and two custom-made wedges from Vokey.
This set sold for $5.156 million in 2022, and it was the highest-bid memorabilia of the year. The clubs were undoubtedly special for Woods’s collectors, but what made it better was the ‘Tiger’ stamp on the wedges and the fact that despite being used, they were in better condition, with much evidence proving that it was indeed original.
The bid was started at $25,000, but after 58 Woods’s fans fought tooth and nail for the set, it went way above the expected line. Although a lot expensive, it shows how much power Woods still had in the golf world despite playing relatively less every season.
