Tiger Woods’ PGA Tour debut ball sells at auction

What can Tiger Woods remember from his PGA Tour debut?

As a skinny 16-year-old with the weight of the world on his shoulders, Woods teed off on the PGA Tour for the first time.

“What the hell just happened,” he said, speaking of his curtain opener on the first hole at the 1992 Los Angeles Open at Riviera.

The fifteen-time major champion’s club got ‘heavier and heavier’ as he tried to pull the trigger, but his Titleist ball found the middle of the fairway.

Tiger was certain to become a star, as was that ball becoming a commodity.

How much would it set you back? Well, just the $52,360.80, as found out at auction this week.

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Golden Age Auctions, the leader in golf collecting, confirmed the final price on Monday after 32 bids came in for the Titleist Tour 100 ball.

The opening bid was $2,500 for the ball, which Tiger hit 72 times on his way to a solid first round on tour.

He followed that with a round of 75 to miss the cut by five strokes, but he had made his mark and now returns to the venue every year as tournament host.

The auction lasted just under two weeks, adding to the collection of Woods’ golf balls that have gone for big bucks.

Last November, a ball the 46-year-old canned a hole-in-one with fetched $186,000 at auction, while the ball from his final round of the 1997 Masters sold for $64,124.40 at auction.

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The latest piece of history was consigned by Byron “Dana” Lindstrom, who was a longtime PGA tournament official and worked as Tiger’s security on Thursday, February 27, 1992.

Golden Age admitted “we are totally shocked” that the ball still exists.

The lot description read: “In their preparation for Tiger’s induction into the Hall of Fame, the debut golf ball was secured on loan, where it was proudly displayed in Tiger’s locker during his induction and for a couple years after.

“It was also signed by Tiger Woods, which he purportedly did after the first round in February 1992.

“The ball is housed in an 8 5/8″ x 10 1/8″ shadowbox frame, where it has lived since shortly after the 1992 Nissan LA Open. The reverse of the shadowbox is autographed by Tiger Woods.”

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.