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Augusta National Golf Club, the ultra-elite home of the Masters and worldwide leader in general snobbery, is suing a golf memorabilia collector for trying to sell an authentic Masters champion jacket.
Stephen Pyles, a doctor from Florida, bought Art Wall Jr.'s 1959 Masters prize at an auction last year for the princely sum of $62,000. Pyles told the Atlanta Journal Constitutionthat the purchase was no big deal, and he had owned "six, maybe seven" authentic green jackets in his lifetime. Each member at Augusta National and every Masters champion is given a green jacket, so there are quite a few circulating around the world, and green jacket auctions aren't uncommon. For some reason, the golf club is now taking a stand against the trade of old jackets. When Pyles recently tried to resell his jacket through a Texas-based auction house, Augusta National quickly filed a restraining order against the sale and followed up with a lawsuit.
Augusta National argues that the the club owns every single champion's jacket ever made, and that each jacket is meant to remain in the clubhouse when not in use during official events. The club also alleges that the jacket was stolen by an employee and sold away, which Pyles disputes.
Via the AJC:
"It must be stored on ANI (Augusta National Inc.) premises for use only on the grounds and during the annual tournament. Thus, a champion's Green Jacket is owned by ANI, with a champion having possessory rights when on the premises of ANI."This statement is somewhat out of the blue, given that a Bobby Jones jacket was sold for more than $300,000 just two years ago. So, in case you were thinking that, with the introduction of female members, Augusta was taking positive steps forward from being a collection of ornery old men, they'd like to formally remind you otherwise.
Source : http://www.usatoday.com/story/gameon/2013/03/05/augusta-national-green-jacket-lawsuit/1964567/