Once again Ping is celebrating anniversaries with extremely limited-edition putters, this time to commemorate the 35 years since Ping’s putters swept the four major championships in 1988 – the only time it has happened for any putter brand.
During each of the four major-championship weeks in 2023, Ping will release a new model from its “Ping Slam” collection as part of its PLD Limited program. Precision-milled versions of the four winning models – Pal, Pal 2, Zing 2 and Anser, respectively – will be introduced each Tuesday of this year’s four major championships, giving collectors a rare opportunity to own a part of Ping’s storied putter history.
Only 88 versions of each handcrafted putter model will be available via pingpld.com for $990 (limit one per customer) during the corresponding major’s week. Each putter is serialized for authenticity and includes a custom headcover unique to each of the four major events.
On Dec. 5, collectors will have the opportunity to purchase one of 35 complete sets of the PLD Limited “Ping Slam” putters for $4,990 (limit one per customer), which will include a custom-designed display unit.
“It was a tremendous accomplishment,” said John A. Solheim, Ping executive chairman. “When we realized we were one win away from having a Ping putter in the hands of every major champion in the same year, the PGA Championship took on added interest for us. When it happened, it was very special, and we celebrated by running one of our iconic yellow ads under the headline ‘PING Putters Used To Win The Grand Slam Of Golf.’ What made it even more rewarding was that four different models of putters were used in the victories.”
Ping’s engineers meticulously re-created the precise specs of each putter based on company archives, old images and measurements taken from the Ping Gold Putter Vault, ensuring that the late founder Karsten Solheim’s original designs remained intact.
When Ping celebrated the 55th anniversary of the original Anser patent with four limited-edition Anser Patent 55 putters last year, each sold out in less than three minutes on the website.
“Whether golfers want to purchase one of the 88 individual putters during the week of the major or wait until the end of the year to collect all four at once, we expect the putters to go fast, so we encourage those interested to plan accordingly,” Solheim said.
The first model will drop Tuesday, April 4, at 2 p.m. EDT at pingpld.com. The Pal is made of aluminum/bronze alloy with a natural finish. The model was used by Sandy Lyle when he won the green jacket in 1988. Cast from manganese bronze, the perimeter-weighted head featured a shorter blade length and an Anser hosel. It was used to win more than 100 tour events, including six majors.
The other three models – commemorating the 1988 major wins by Jeff Sluman (PGA), Curtis Strange (U.S. Open) and Seve Ballesteros (Open Championship) – will be released at 2 p.m. EDT the Tuesday of each corresponding major. The Pal 2 (303 stainless steel) drops May 16; the Zing 2 (303 stainless steel, natural finish) drops June 13; and the Anser (aluminum/bronze alloy) drops July 18.
PHOTOS Courtesy ping