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Agent says Tiger Slam clubs not legit; Auction co-founder hits back: ‘We faced this last time they sold’

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Yesterday, GolfWRX reported that the clubs used for Tiger Woods’ legendary Tiger Slam in 2000 and 2001 were up for auction.

At the time of reporting, the current top bid was $297,955, with the close of auction dated for Masters Sunday, the 9th of April.

However, according to Golf Digest’s Dan Rapaport, there is a question-mark over the set’s authenticity. In a tweet posted yesterday afternoon, Rapaport said:

”Update—Woods’ agent Mark Steinberg denied the legitimacy of the irons. Tiger has the authentic set of the Slam irons his house,” he said when reached for comment.”

Golden Age Auctions are standing by the provenance of the lot, owned by businessman Tod Brock for the past 12 years, commenting, “We would not put anything up for sale we weren’t wholly confident in.”

Bidding had moved on to $327,750 by the time of the tweet and is now at $527,846 at the time of this piece. The clubs are expected to fetch seven figures by the close of the auction.

“I got to enjoy them for 11-12 years,” said Brock on his reason for selling after paying just $57,242 for the irons in 2010. “I live a boring life. I don’t entertain a whole lot, so they weren’t getting the eyes on them that they deserve.”

On the GolfWRX Facebook page, co-founder of Golden Age Golf Auctions, Bob Zafian, further refuted the claims reportedly made by Steinberg that the irons were not authentic. Zafian wrote: 

“I got these myself back then from a VP at Titleist. Then I hired a polygraph examiner, and there’s much more proof and affidavits.”, and added “We faced this last time they sold. Not unexpected.”

Current owner and co-founder of Golden Age Golf Auctions, has also come out to defend the listing saying: 

“The two Titleist executives who were in charge of Tiger’s clubs have signed sworn affidavits asserting their legitimacy, one took a polygraph and passed it, and the original buyer in 2010 did his due diligence as well.

And just take a look at the 8-iron wear mark. That club was clearly struck in the dead center thousands of times by the greatest ball-striker in the world. If Tiger believes he has these clubs at his house, we’d love to see them.

This is what we do. And this is my livelihood. I would not put anything up for sale that I wasn’t wholly confident in.”

It’s worth noting that back in 2020 when Tiger showed off his impressive golf club collection from his home, the only ‘Tiger Slam’ club that Woods showed the cameras was his driver.

The final offer will surely beat the current most expensive lot in golf history – the first green jacket won by Horton Smith – sold for $682,000 at auction in 2013, and this debate can only fuel the publicity and, ultimately, more bids.

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19th Hole

3-time PGA Tour winner calls for LIV to buy Champions Tour to fix ‘joke’ purses

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While speaking on the Subpar podcast, former PGA Tour winner and current PGA Tour Champions player Chris DiMarco said he hopes LIV buys the Champions Tour.

“We’re kind of hoping that LIV buys the Champions Tour,” he said.

“Let’s play for a little real money out here. I mean this is kind of a joke when we’re getting $2 million. There were like seven guys last week from TPC (Sawgrass, at the $25 million PLAYERS Championship) that made more money than our purses.”

In 2024, the Champions Tour had a total of $67 million in prize money over the course of 24 events.

DiMarco also defended LIV players for taking the money and said he would take it also.

“They wanted to play for a lot of money, and they deserve it. They have had some great careers, why not go and get some money?”

DiMarco also offered insight on Graeme McDowell’s move to LIV.

“I saw Graeme McDowell at the Old Memorial Pro Member, and he goes, ‘Listen, I went up to Jay Monahan and said I love the tour but I am struggling to keep my card and these guys are offering me all this money and less golf. I’m sorry, I’m going.’ And I do not blame him one bit, and I said I would have too.”

DiMarco was ranked as high as 6th in the world in 2006.

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19th Hole

‘It won’t win you golf tournaments’ – Golf analyst rips Charley Hull’s course management

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Charley Hull came just short of her third LPGA Tour victory over the weekend at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship when she played her last two holes at 3 over to slip all the way to 10th on the leaderboard.

After the round, Hull was blasted by Sky Sports commentator and former LPGA Tour player Trish Johnson for her lack of golf course management.

While speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, Johnson spoke harshly of Hull.

“I’m probably her harshest critic, because I know how good she is. She doesn’t win anywhere near enough for her talent, and she doesn’t get involved enough, in all honestly.

“The thing with Charley is that you’re never going to change her. I read something the other day that said how much she loves the game and it’s her love of the game [that costs her]. She’s never going to change and she’s just going to go for every pin.

“In theory that’s great, but it won’t win you golf tournaments, it just won’t because she’s not that much better than anybody else. If you put Charley against Nelly Korda, then I’m picking Nelly every single day of the week.”

Johnson also made a fascinating comparison between Hull and a famous male golfer, John Daly.

“Golf-wise that’s the way she plays the game and it’s a little bit like watching John Daly I suppose.”

“There’s something that John Daly had that made him a major winner and a winner, but Charley is kind of lacking that. Her talent is not in question, but maybe her application is. Maybe it’s just the case of her never changing and that will cost her golf tournaments, there’s no two ways about it. You cannot go for every pin because that’s the way you play and it being fun, as other players are better than that and you have to have course management.”

Hull is still only 27, and therefore has plenty of time to work on her flaws to achieve the success her talent should allow.

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Former agent lifts lid on being fired by ‘zombie’ Tiger Woods

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Discussing his new book “Rainmaker” with the Daily Mail, Tiger Woods’ former agent, Hughes Norton, recounted the events leading up to and after his split with the 15-time major champion.

Norton was abruptly fired by Woods in 1998 after his 1997 Masters win and monster deal with Nike.

In the book, Norton talks about the way Tiger views his relationships, calling him a “zombie.”

The solace I can take, which doesn’t provide much, is this: He was an equal opportunity zombie with relationships, his swing coaches, his lawyer, the guy negotiated the IMG representation deal, with caddies, When it’s over, it’s over.”

Norton added:

“It is the way he terminates relationships with everyone. Whether it’s girlfriends, whether it’s his former golf coaches. It’s ironic, really. In a way he’s so good at confrontation on the golf course. If he’s playing you, he will beat your brains out every single time.

“But when it comes to confronting things like me and other people that are in his life, he has no social skills whatsoever. It’s maddening, actually.”

After he was fired by Woods, Norton was let go by IMG, which he believes was due to Woods’ influence.

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