Lot # 116: Early Steel Shaft Putter Made For Jock Hutchison

Category: Golf Clubs

Starting Bid: $400.00

Bids: 13 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Inaugural Auction",
which ran from 3/6/2019 12:00 PM to
3/23/2019 8:00 PM



Born in St. Andrews in 1884, Jock Hutchison won the 1920 PGA and the 1921 British Open championships.  Between 1918 and 1928, during the early days of the PGA Tour, he won 14 titles. He served as one of the two honorary starters at the Masters from 1963 until 1973, when his ailments prevented him from hitting a ball. Hutchison died in 1977 and was voted into the PGA Golf Hall of Fame in 2011. 

After arriving in America, Hutchison lived in Pittsburgh from 1905 to 1918.  He was recognized as the best player in the area, winning the West Penn Open five times before moving to Chicago, where he worked as the professional at the Glen View Club.

This early square steel shaft putter, made for Hutchsion, was produced by Spalding under E.H. Winkworth Scott's 1916 US patent. Spalding offered this putter in its 1915-1918 catalogs, and again in 1920, as the "Model O",  "Olympic" putter.  Every example that the auctioneer has seen has been marked with "Olympic" "O" and Spalding's name and cleekmarks—except for this one.  The only marks on the back of the unique-shaped head are Jock Hutchison, Pittsburgh.  

Its not known if Hutchison ever used the club in competition, but marked with only his name and location there is no question that it was made by Spalding expressely for Hutchison. Jock was a forward thinker and looked for an edge when it came to clubs. He used deep-groove backspin irons so effectively while winning the 1921 British Open that the R&A outlawed such clubs shortly thereafter.  TCA2 Vol 1 p 275 and Vol 2, p 656-657

This putter—head, shaft, and grip—is in excellent original condition.

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