This oil on canvas portrait of Gene Sarazen, showing him wearing his green Masters jacket, was given to Sarazen by the Wilson Company in 1986, on his 84th Birthday. Mary Ann Sarazen, Gene's daughter, recently located a copy of a newspaper article that shows both the portrait and Gene on that day.  (An image of this article is included on this site.)

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.  The oil painting offered here remained with his family upon his passing in 1999.

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. 

Gene was highly valued by Wilson, which kept him under contract for 78 consecutive years. According to Mary Ann Sarazen, this portrait hung in Gene’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 tournament 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.