This painted bronze staute, c. 1890, of John E. Laidlay is one of only two examples known to exist. This one sold at auction for $30,000. Well, there are only two of them. Laidlay was a famous British amateur who won the British Amateur in 1889 and 1891, and was runner-up in 1888, 1890, and 1893. It was Laidlay who is credited with inventing the near-universal “Vardon Grip,” the overlapping grip most golfers still use today. After World War I, Laidlay moved to Sunningdale, England where his former caddie, Jack White, was the professional at the Sunningdale Golf Club. Laidlay died in July 1940 in Sunningdale.
Collectibles such as this one, of a famous golfer combined with extreme rarity, can lead to extraordinary prices at auction.
