Gary Player puts memorablia up for sale

Gary Player is putting his collection of golf memorabilia, including his 1961 Masters jacket and replicas of the four major championship tropies, up for sale at a price of more than $5 million.

Auction house Christie wants to negotiate a private sale for the entire collection, which comprises nearly 300 items accumulated during the South African's 50-year playing career.

"We are not selling the collection by public auction since this would disperse the material," Christie's director David Llewellyn said Tuesday.

"Christie's is confident that the collection will eventually find a good, safe and permanent location where it will be looked after and displayed by a wide audience of golf fans."

Player, along with Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, dominated professional golf in the 1960s and 1970s. In 1965, he completed a career Grand Slam of winning all four majors.

Player, now 66, began his pro career in 1953 at the age of 17. He won the first of his nine majors in 1959 at the Open at Muirfield.

Some of the items for sale include silver reduced replicas of the Masters clubhouse trophy, U.S Open vase and cover, Open claret jug and the U.S PGA championship Rodman Wanamaker trophy. The nine gold medals from his major championships are also part of the sale.

The green jacket presented to Player by Palmer after he won the 1961 Masters is also included. Player also won the Masters in 1974 and 1978.

Personal memorabilia includes the blade putter that Player bought in Japan in 1961 and used to win more than 100 tournaments.

Also for sale are the fiberglass-shafted driver that Player used to win the 1965 U.S Open and the black and white trousers he wore at the 1960 and 2000 Opens.

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