Arnold Palmer's putter sold for $140,000. Photo: Supplied: Green Jacket Auctions
After sitting in a glass cabinet at the New Plymouth Golf Club for 40 years, one of Arnold Palmer's Masters winning putters has sold for about $140,000.
Palmer who is considered one of the games best used the putter to win the Masters for the fourth time in 1964.
Club manager Simon Rowe said club member Mike Brooke got in touch with Palmer in the 1980's and asked him if he was willing to provide something to be used as a juniors trophy.
"Basically he shipped the putter to us, i think the club was expecting a hat or a glove but we ended up with his 1964 winning putter.
"We've used it as a trophy for teams junior golf - it has never left the club, there's just a small plaque that the teams names go on."
Simon Rowe said the club is looking for a replica putter to use for the trophy to continue the tradition.
He said the original putter was showing it's age.
Arnold Palmer's putter went under the hammer at Green Jacket Auctions in the United States. Photo: Supplied: Green Jacket Auctions
"There are some marks on it where i think he's tinkered with it, some holes have been drilled in the bottom of it to make it lighter probably done by Palmer himself."
Mr Rowe said they though they would get a bit more for the putter as some of Palmer's other memorabilia has sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"We sold it through the Green Jacket Auction website for about $140,000 New Zealand dollars."
He said the club has not decided what it will do with the money.
-RNZ
