As the bidding escalated during a coming out party by yours truly
as an auctioneer, there was almost disbelief in the audience as a white
Titleist golf visor approached $500.
The world's most expensive visor?
That's what is seemed Monday night at the awards dinner for Yardley VII
at Newport Beach Golf Course, the George Yardley-sponsored community golf
"event" to benefit the Newport Harbor High golf program.
The last of eight live auction items on the block, this particular visor
was signed by Tiger Woods and purchased by Kathy Morgan, who paid $525
for it after a crowd-stimulating bidding war.
Last year at Yardley VI, Morgan reportedly paid $350 for a hat signed by
Woods, an honorary member at Big Canyon Country Club.
Two weeks before Woods destroyed the field at the 100th U.S. Open at
Pebble Beach, he signed the visor for Big Canyon assistant pro Sandy
Huber, an annual participant in the Yardley tournament and active
volunteer for the Olive Crest Home, which also benefits from the
tournament.
"Right before (Woods) left, I told the kids they needed to write him a
thank you note," Huber said.
Kathleen Hanold, a volunteer official for Yardley VII, said she was
"talking to (Morgan) before the auction, and she just couldn't wait for
it to start. Then she set a (live auction) record that may never be
broken."
Morgan reportedly will have the Woods-autographed visor and hat put in
acrylic and stored for safekeeping.
"She didn't care how much she had to bid for it, she said ... (because)
she was going to buy it," Newport Harbor golf coach Jim Warren said of
Morgan, who was unavailable for comment afterward, apparently because she
was too busy celebrating amid the chaos at banquet's end.
Added Warren of Morgan, a mystery guest: "I hadn't seen her before. She
just shows up."
In a wild and wacky Yardley VII, even the tournament chairman and
featured celebrity was bidding on his own auction items, pumping up the
price tag in perhaps the quickest live auction in town (under 10
minutes?).
"It was a real fun event, and it was fun to see George Yardley bidding on
his own things," Huber said.
Thanks to guys like Woods, who is reportedly buying a home in Big Canyon,
and Yardley, the event raised between $25,000 and $30,000, according to
Warren.
Tournament director Mark Whitfield, who will replace Buck Johns as chief
executive at next year's Yardley VIII (held the last Monday in June),
called the event "the anti-golf tournament. It's all about the lunch
buffet, dinner buffet and prizes."
