Three oil paintings of Gene Sarazen were on display in his
home/office. They were all gifts Gene received at various points
during his life. In 1992 he donated one of his oil portraits to the
USGA. The oil painting offered here is one of the two that remained
with his family upon his passing in 1999. (See lot 3 for the other
portrait.)
This oil on canvas portrait of Sarazen shows him wearing his green Masters jacket. The artist was C. Adams, who signed the bottom right-hand corner of the image. The painting itself measures 15 1/2 x 19
1/2 inches. Including the beautiful gilded frame, this piece measures 22 1/2 x 26 3/4 inches. The
portrait is flawless. Simply put, this is a marvelous work of art that beautifully depicts one of Golf's greatest
legends and respected ambassadors.
Mary Ann Sarazen, Gene's daughter, believes the Wilson Sporting Goods Company presented this painting to her father as a gift. Gene was highly valued by Wilson, which kept him under contract for 78 consecutive years. It is possible, however, that another organization gave the painting to Gene as he received a number of accolades, honors, and presentations throughout his life. Sarazen's daughter does not know the exact year it was presented to her father, but it hung in Sarazen’s office for many years.
Mary Ann also noted that the Augusta National Golf Club gave Gene two green jackets, and these were the only green jackets of any kind that he owned. The first was for winning the event in 1935 and the second was given to him later in life when, she believes, his first jacket no longer fit correctly. In the portrait, the ANGC logo is not visible because ANGC logos are centered on the left breast pocket which is slightly lower on the jacket than the portion shown in the painting. As a point of interest, Mary Ann returned both green jackets to the ANGC after Gene's death.
One of the greatest legends of the game,
Gene Sarazen is one of only five golfers who have won all of golf's
modern major championships—The Masters, US Open, British Open, and PGA
Championship. The other four with "career grand slams" are Tiger
Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary
Player, and Ben Hogan. Sarazen's
accomplishments extend beyond his 7 major championship victories and 39
PGA Tour wins. He is credited with inventing the modern sand wedge. His
double eagle at the 15th during the last round of the 1935 Masters
became the "shot heard 'round the world" and put the Masters squarely on
the golf map. He was the host of Shell's Wonderful World of Golf for
seven years. As the oldest competitor at the 1973 British Open
Championship at Royal Troon, he aced the eighth hole—"The Postage
Stamp." He was the
honorary starter at the Masters from 1981 to 1999. He was the Associated Press 1932 Male Athlete of the Year. In 1974 Sarazen was
inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame along with Bobby Jones and Sam
Snead. In 1992, he was voted the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by
the United States Golf Association, in recognition of distinguished
sportsmanship in golf. In 1996, the PGA Tour voted unanimously to award Sarazen with its inaugural PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award.
You can buy programs and tickets from the earliest Masters
tournaments. But a chance to buy the 1935 Masters champion—the oil
portrait of Gene Sarazen wearing his green Masters jacket, the portrait
that hung in his office—now that is truly special.
A signed letter of authenticity from the Gene and Mary Sarazen
Foundation will accompany this painting. The letter states that this portrait was Gene's personal
property and part of his estate.