U.S. Amateur Trophy stolen from USGA Museum
16 May 2012
by AmateurGolf.com Staff
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- represents the oldest USGA Championship
Far Hills, N.J. (May 16, 2012) – An overnight burglary at the USGA Museum resulted in the loss of two historical items.
The artifacts include the U.S. Amateur Trophy, which was created in 1926 and retired in 1992, and a replica of Ben Hogan’s 1953 Hickok Belt award, which the USGA acquired from the Hogan estate in 1998 and has been displayed in the Museum since 1999.
The USGA issued this official statement:
“This is a deplorable incident, but we are thankful for the safety of our staff. These historical artifacts are an important part of our collection and their loss is a great disappointment. We are working closely with the Bernards Township Police Department to aid in their recovery.”
The 18-karat gold, 16th-century-style steeple cup is a replica of the original silver trophy, which was first presented to Charles Blair Macdonald at Newport Golf Club following his victory in the inaugural U.S. Amateur Championship on October 3, 1895. The silver cup was lost in a devastating fire at Atlanta's East Lake Golf Club in 1925.
The stolen Havemeyer Trophy was retired to the USGA Museum in 1992. A replica trophy has been passed from champion to champion since that time.
All of us at amateurgolf.com hope for the safe return of this important part of the amateur game.