Former Augusta employee charged with stealing ‘millions’ in Masters merch

A former Augusta National employee has been charged in a federal court with stealing millions of dollars in stolen Masters merchandise and memorabilia.

The Chicago Tribune has reported that 39-year-old Robert Globensky was charged just two days after this year’s tournament with transporting stolen goods across state lines over a period of 13 years.

It is alleged in the filing that Globensky moved “‘millions of dollars worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and historical memorabilia” between 2009 and 2022, whilst “knowing the same had been stolen, converted and taken by fraud.”

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It is not clear what role Globensky had at Augusta, or indeed what the allegedly stolen items were.

The filing came just hours after Scottie Scheffler had won his second Green Jacket at the 88th Masters tournament.

Fans who attend the iconic venue in Georgia on Masters week have the chance to buy the exclusive merchandise that is not officially sold anywhere else.

It is rumoured that the famous Masters shop takes in up to $70,000,000 during the tournament week, which equates to $1,000,000 an hour that the store is open.

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This year, the craze of the Masters gnomes swept Augusta. Fans queued for hours for a chance to buy the garden ornaments, which were priced at $49.50 for a full size one and under $30 for a smaller one.

But while demand to visit Augusta remains extremely high, the television viewing figures on the tournament dipped across the United States in the 2024 renewal.

Scheffler’s four-shot victory on Sunday drew 9.589million viewers on CBS, which was 20% down on last year’s event won by Jon Rahm.

This year’s ratings were the lowest the US broadcaster has had on Masters Sunday since Hideki Matsuyama’s victory in 2021.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.