1996 Tiger Woods Signed Hole-in-One Golf Ball from First Professional Tournament (Greater Milwaukee Open), PSA/DNA Auto 8....

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1996 Tiger Woods Signed Hole-in-One Golf Ball from First Professional Tournament (Greater Milwaukee Open), PSA/DNA Auto 8. An included notarized letter of provenance signed by our consignor and three fellow attendees tells the story perfectly:

"On September 1st, 1996, I attended the Greater Milwaukee Open golf tournament along with my fiancé Nancy Bolman, at that time, now my wife of 25 years, my wife's sister Diane Beck and her husband David Beck. We brought lawn chairs and set up behind the par 3 14th hole. Later in the day, Tiger Woods came to the tee box and hit a six iron into the hole for a 'hole in one.' When Tiger arrived at the green and pulled the ball from the hole, my brother-in-law, David Beck, yelled out to Tiger 'throw the ball out,' which he promptly did and right at us. Dave grabbed for the ball but it bounced off his hand and right into my lap.

Being an avid collector, I wanted to try and get Tiger to sign the ball. I found a staff member that was able to get the ball to Tom Strong, the tournament director, who was able to get Tiger to sign the ball for me. I also saved the video from the evening news on a VCR tape. That video is still available online at PGA TOUR Video Tiger Woods hole in one 1996."

Google that term and you'll find more than one video of the baby-faced legend on the rise making the shot and then tossing the ball into the crowd, just as the letter describes. It will likely come as no surprise that the owner of this ball from Woods' very first professional tournament and professional hole-in-one was drawn to Heritage by the enormous press generated when the highest graded full ticket from this tournament commanded a winning bid of $99,000 in February of this year, the most ironclad data possible to place the enormity of the event into context.

The ball is a "Titleist 1" that presents one of the finest (and certainly earliest) Woods autographs we've ever encountered on a golf ball, even when removing consideration of its extraordinary historical significance. It unquestionably ranks among the finest artifacts of Tiger Woods peerless career ever made available at public auction. Notarized LOA from original recipient. Full Grading LOA from PSA/DNA, Auto 8. LOA from Heritage Auctions.