Arnold Palmer Green Jacket Presented to Him at the 1984 Masters Tournament. Only the great Jack Nicklaus has conquered the field at Augusta more times that Arnold Palmer, who shares the silver medal platform with Tiger Woods at a remarkable four victories. The gorgeous and bedeviling verdant twists and turns of the famed Georgia links stand as the most enduring legacy of Golden Age golf god Bobby Jones, whose dream of creating America's premier course and tournament were indeed brought to fruition. First contested in 1934 during the heart of the Great Depression, the tournament debuted the most recognizable victor's prize fifteen years later, when it was awarded to 1949 Masters Tournament winner Sam Snead.

Today the fabled Green Jacket serves as the tangible symbol of golf's greatest achievement, awarded to the victor every second Sunday in April inside Augusta's Butler Cabin. As closely guarded as it is coveted, the Green Jacket today is restricted to the grounds of Augusta with winners strongly urged against taking the garments "off campus," and absolutely forbidden from selling them. Super Bowl rings, World Series trophies and Championship belts may routinely enter the hobby, but the Green Jacket remains the most elusive of prey.

The fact that the presented Green Jacket was technically a presentation model rather than a victor's prize accounts for its eventual escape from the Augusta grounds. The garment was issued to Palmer in 1984, presumably to provide him with a newer and better-fitting model than those he earned with victories in a six-year span between 1958 and 1964. From there it made its way into the personal collection of a long-time Augusta employee who had befriended Palmer during their annual meetings at the Masters. Upon this employee's passing, his son discovered the jacket in his staff room locker, removing it from the premises with the balance of his father's things. Our consignor purchased the jacket directly from the son.

The physical characteristics of the jacket verify the tale, as these exclusive blazers most assuredly are not available at your local clothier. Since 1967, the Hamilton Tailoring Company of Cincinnati, Ohio has been the exclusive producer of Green Jackets, and their label appears at the interior right breast pocket, just above an embroidered patch attributing the garment to Arnold Palmer. The tropical-weight wool in brilliant rye green, the single breast front, center vent back--all are precise to known exemplars. The logo-stamped brass buttons, crafted by Waterbury Button Co. of Cheshire, CT, are identified as such on reverse. The breast pocket patch is made by A&B Emblem Co. in Weaverville, North Carolina, and is likewise precise in its detailing.

With no chance whatsoever that the four Masters Champion jackets earned by Palmer will ever emerge in the collecting hobby, this iconic piece should maintain its status as the most significant Palmer artifact ever to break free of the Augusta grounds, which likewise establishes it among the most noteworthy post-war golf pieces available to the public hobby. LOA from Heritage Auctions.