After a successful Masters tournament last weekend, there has been a startling incident reported at Augusta National. Golf legend Arnold Palmer‘s Green Jacket from his 1958 Masters victory, was reportedly stolen from the golf course.
The jacket has now been retrieved successfully. However, upon the investigation, it was found that the theft was allegedly carried out by a former Augusta warehouse coordinator, Richard Brendan Globensky, who is accused of stealing this iconic piece among other items.
According to reports, from 2009 to 2022, millions of dollars worth of merchandise and memorabilia, including the Jacket, were stolen from the golf course and transported to Tampa, Florida for resale.
After the incident took place, an Augusta member reported that the jacket was missing. He promptly sought assistance from a middleman, who then pinpointed the location where the trading for the jacket was planned to occur for a reported $3.6 million.
In March 2023, the FBI tracked down the seller and recovered the jacket. Meanwhile, Globensky, the accused, is set to plead guilty to these charges now on May 15, 2024.
It is important to note that Arnold Palmer had a flourishing golf career during his tenure as a professional golfer. He has won seven tournaments, which include four Masters victories. His first win came in 1958, followed by victories in 1960, 1962, and 1964. Palmer was honored for his outstanding contributions to golf after he passed away.
How Did Augusta National Honor Arnold Palmer’s Legacy?
Arnold Palmer passed away in 2016, at the age of 87. He was connected to the Masters event in numerous ways. The golf legend competed in the tournament until 2004, after which he served as a regular member of the Masters organizers at the Augusta National Golf Course.
He even served as an honorary starter for the same tournament from 2007 until 2016. In 2017, the Augusta National Golf Club chairman Billy Payne and Kathleen Palmer, draped a green jacket over a chair at the golf course to honor the late Arnold Palmer.
Moreover, fans at the golf course were provided with Arnie’s Army buttons to pay tribute to the golf veteran. After this, Payne finally asked everyone present to observe a moment of silence in honor of one of the greatest golfers that the sport has ever seen.
