Dec. 23 report: Former NFL Kicker and Golf Nut Al Del Greco

This turned out to be the final addition to my autograph collection in 2010. I was unable to send out many requests throughout the later half of the year, so I came up a bit short of my goal of having 365 new ones by the end of the year.

In all I tallied 248, which I am thrilled about.

I guess it is fitting that the final autograph is on a golf ball. Just so happens it is the signature of Al Del Greco, who made his name as being am excellent placekicker in the NFL for the Packers, Cardinals and Oilers/Titans.

He's a regular on the Celebrity Golf Tour and he is also a high school golf coach in Alabama.

Day of the Year: 353
Number of Autographs This Year: 248

Nov. 6 Report: 2003 Masters Tournament Winner Mike Weir

Few things, in terms of autographs, make me as happy as adding a new major championship winner to my collection.

So this late in the year as the autographs seem to trickle in every 10 days or longer I was happy to get an envelope that I instantly recognized as one containing a major championship trophy photo I had sent out months ago.

When I cracked it open and pulled out the photo I was disappointed to see it unsigned. Bummed. But I had momentarily forgotten I had also sent a Masters ticket from 2003 when I was at the event along with the photo.

Sure I was disappointed the photo wasn't signed since I have a nice collection of them hanging on the wall in frames, I was also quite happy to have the ticket signed from the event Mike Weir won his first major championship.

I will look forward to adding this to the shadow box alongside the other tournament tickets and badges I've had signed this year.

Day of the Year: 306
Number of Autographs This Year: 245

Sept. 18 Report: A Surprise From Joe Durant

Three days ago I posted on this blog about a success from PGA Tour winner Joe Durant. I briefly discussed his career in the game and displayed the two different cards he signed for me.

Well you can imagine my surprise when, on Saturday, I found an envelope in the mailbox where my address was written on in black Sharpie -- just the address mind you, not my name.

Well I could tell it was a fairly thick so when I opened it I found seven different card signed by Joe Durant. My guess is he still had my envelope to him lying around when he came across some extra cards in his house.

So without my name on that envelope (I only had my return address on the outside of the envelope) Joe went ahead and put together another envelope to me where signed all these additional cards!

I must say this is a first for me. What an awesome gesture by a guy who had already made my day by signing the two different cards I needed for completing the 2001 Upper Deck autographed card set.

Day of the Year: 259
Number of Autographs This Year: 241

Sept. 15 Report: PGA Tour Star Joe Durant

Florida native and long-time PGA Tour player Joe Durant came through for me today by returning two different Upper Deck cards for me which I will add to the signed set I am trying to complete.

Durant played golf collegiately at a small Alabama school called Huntingdon College. He was a three-time NAIA All-American. He won the 1987 NAIA individual golf championship.

Durant would turn pro after that victory and would win on the Nationwide Tour (then known as the Nike Tour) at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Classic.

Durant would follow that with a successful PGA Tour career where he would win four times: 1988 Motorola Western Open, 2001 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, 2001 Genuity Championship and 2006 Walt Disney World Classic.


Day of the Year: 256
Number of Autographs This Year: 240

Sept. 13 Report: Left-handed PGA Tour winner Steve Flesch

Yes it has been yonks since I've been able to post anything in this space. A few changes recently have kept me from being able to send out requests like I had earlier in the year. Hopefully everything smooths out in the coming days/weeks and I can return to making regular requests.

So today's report is a success that comes from a mailing I did nearly three months ago. It it is worth the wait as Steve Flesch came through in big way. I had sent the left-hander a golf glove to sign and add to my left-handed PGA Tour winners project.

Not only did he sign and return that glove, but he also included an added bonus. Inside the envelope was a second glove -- this one his own (Srixon) which was obviously used by him. He also signed that one!!

Flesch is one of four Southpaws to ever win multiple times on Tour. He's won the 2003 HP Classic of New Orleans, 2004 Bank of America Colonial, 2007 Reno-Tahoe Open and 2007 Turning Stone Resort Championship.

This is the first time I have received a piece of used equipment for this project, so needless to say I am obviously very happy. Well worth the wait!!!!

Day of the Year: 254
Number of Autographs This Year: 239

Former New Orleans Saints Tackle Stan Brock and PGA Tour Star Joe Ogilvie

Admittedly things have been a bit slow of late on this blog, and that's a direct result of my being sidetracked with other aspects of life. I've been unable to send any requests lately, so everything that's come in over the last month has largely been those that have been out for a while.

Hopefully in the next few weeks I'll be able to resume with the request writing.

In the meantime I am glad to have two successes to report today. First up is Stan Brock, whom I mailed a pair of cards to 152 days ago. They both came back signed today.

Brock was a tackle for the New Orleans Saints from 1980-1992, and then with the San Diego Chargers 1992-1995.

On the golfing front, I've added the signature of Joe Ogilvie to my collection as well today. I wrote Ogilvie 50 days ago.

The former Duke golfer has won four times on the Nationwide Tour. He picked up his first PGA Tour title at the 2007 U.S. Bank Championship.

Day of the Year: 222
Number of Autographs This Year: 237

August 4 Report: 1963 British Open Winner Bob Charles

Nothing like a major championship success to bolster your career. Same is true as a terrific way to bolster your autograph collection.

Today I was fortunate enough to get another one of my Claret Jug photos returned as I am slowly building my collection of autographed major championship trophy photos. This autograph fills a real triple need for me, in that not only does it cover a major winner but it also adds a left-hander to that collection and a Hall of Fame member.

Charles was the first left-hander to win on the PGA Tour when he won the 1963 Houston Classic. But the brightest spot on Charles' considerable resume -- it boasts more than 70 worldwide victories and he has been Knighted for his services to golf -- is his win at the 1963 British Open.

Charles continued a trend that most winners of majors have engaged in on my trophy project -- he also inscribed the photo with the year he won the trophy.

Day of the Year: 214
Number of Autographs This Year: 235

July 22 Update: Former Ryder Cup Player and Current Champions Tour Star Gil Morgan

Gil Morgan, who won seven times during his PGA Tour career, signed a Ryder Cup trophy photo for me. Morgan played on two Ryder Cup teams -- 1979 and 1983

Morgan has had much more success on the Champions Tour since joining it. As of this writing he ranks third all-time in victories on that Tour with 25 wins. Three of those wins were major championships, two Traditions (1997 and 1998) and a Senior Players Championship (1998).

Day of the Year: 201
Number of Autographs This Year: 232

July 21 Report: LPGA Tour and Solheim Cup Star Kelly Robbins

The successes continue to come in sporadically this time of year, so any day I add a success is a great day!

Today I've added another signature for my Solheim Cup collection, courtesy of Kelly Robbins. Robbins has won nine times on the LPGA Tour, including a major championship at the 1995 LPGA Championship.

She made six consecutive Solheim Cup teams beginning in 1994 up until 2003.

Day of the Year: 200
Number of Autographs This Year: 231

July 16 Report: Golf Hall of Famer and British Open/PGA Championship Winner Nick Price

A day late getting this up, but a great success to report.

One of golf's all-time great guys -- not to mention great champions -- returned a pair of major championship trophy photographs.

Nick Price, who won the British Open in 1994 and the PGA Championship in 1992 and 1994, personalized and signed photos of the Claret Jug and Wanamaker trophies.

Price was inducted into the Golf Hall of Fame in 2003. His international record is remarkable, winning more than 50 times around the world including 18 times on the PGA Tour. He's also won on the European Tour, South African Tour and Japan Golf Tour. Price has added three wins to date on the Champions Tour, too.

Day of the Year: 196
Number of Autographs This Year: 230

July 15 Report: Golf Hall of Famer Betsy Rawls and Left-Handed Golfer Vic Wilk

Simply put Betsy Rawls is one of the very best women to ever swing a golf club. The Hall of Famer won 55 times in her career, including eight major championships. The only women to grace the winner's circle on a more regular basis were Kathy Whitworth, Mickey Wright, Petty Berg and Annika Sorenstam.

Rawls may have been at her best in the U.S. Women's Open, claiming four of them between 1951 and 1960. She won the Vare Trophy and was Player of the Year in 1959.

On the men's side I added another autographed golf glove from a left-hander to my collection of signed gloves from Southpaws who have won professionally.

Vic Wilk won the Knoxville Open in 1994, becoming the first lefty to win on the Nike Tour. Today that Tour is known as Nationwide Tour.

Wilk, who will join the Champions Tour next year, was kind enough to inscribe the glove with his famous lefty accomplishment.

Day of the Year: 195
Number of Autographs This Year: 229

July 9 Report: Ryder Cup Player Jerry Pate

Definitely been in the longest autograph drought since this autograph project began. It's been a long eight days waiting for a new success, but it is finally here.

So hopefully this is the start of a new streak!

Today's success is another in my Ryder Cup player collection. This one comes from Jerry Pate, who had a distinguished amateur career before turning pro. He represented the U.S. on Walker Cup teams and won the U.S. Amateur in 1974.

His first professional victory came at another USGA Championship -- the 1976 U.S. Open. He has eight PGA Tour wins in all and has claimed a pair of victories to date on the Champions Tour.

He played on the U.S. team that won the Ryder Cup in 1981.

Day of the Year: 189
Number of Autographs This Year: 224

June 30 Report: PGA Tour Winner Duffy Waldorf

Two days in a row now that I've added cards to my 2001 Upper Deck Golf card set.

Duffy Waldorf signed two different cards of himself from the set, which is terrific.

Waldorf has won four times to date on the PGA Tour, most recently at the 2000 Disney event. Prior to achieving stardom on the Tour, Waldorf was an accomplished amateur played from UCLA.

Waldorf twice was an NCAA All-American and was selected as the College Player of the Year in 1985. He also represented the U.S. on the Walker Cup Team.

Day of the Year: 180
Number of Autographs This Year: 222

June 29 Report: PGA Tour Player Greg Kraft

Greg Kraft has been a long-time player on both the PGA Tour and its developmental tour, the Nationwide Tour.

He has won on each circuit, claiming the 2008 Puerto Rico Open on the PGA Tour and the 2005 Northeast Pennsylvania Classic in 2005.

Kraft signed this Upper Deck for me in my quest to get as many from the set signed as possible.

Picture to follow later.


Day of the Year: 179
Number of Autographs This Year: 221

June 26 Report: Five-time British Open Winner and Golf Hall of Famer Tom Watson

Well today made up for a slow week of autographs for me. Not necessarily in number as I only added a total of three new signatures over the course of the seven days. So needless to say I lost a little ground to the autograph a day quest.

Suffice it to say that I'm quite OK with that this week after the quality of the success I received today. As those of you who read this blog regularly know, I've been getting photos of the major championship trophies signed by winners. And today was a huge plus in that department as five-time British Open winner Tom Watson signed a photo of the Claret Jug.

Only the legendary Harry Vardon has won more Opens (6) than Watson. And what makes this even cooler is that Watson took the time to inscribe and make some terrific inscriptions on the photo.
As you can see he wrote "Open Champ." and inscribed it with the five years he won golf's oldest championship!

Truly an amazing add to the collection from one of the top three greatest golfers to ever play in the 1970s and 1980s. This has fired me up to load the mailbox with new requests on Monday!

Day of the Year: 176
Number of Autographs This Year: 220

June 17 Report: LPGA Star Kelli Kuehne

Kellie Kuehne had a truly terrific amateur career, twice winning the U.S. Women's Amateur (1995, 1996) and also adding a British Ladies Amateur (1996). She was an All-American at the University of Texas and also played on the 1996 Curtis Cup team.

She won the 1999 LPGA Corning Classic and has competed in two Solheim Cup teams for the United States (2002, 2003).

She signed my American Solheim Cup photo for my collection of U.S. players who have competed on the women's version of the Ryder Cup.

Day of the Year: 168
Number of Autographs This Year: 216

June 15 Report: PGA Tour Player Chris Perry

Chris Perry was a standout golfer at Ohio State, where he was a three-time All American. He won the Bog 10 Championship in 1983 and was the College Player of the Year a year later.

He also turned pro in 1984 and would play on the PGA Tour from 1985-1992. He split time on the PGA Tour and Nationwide Tour the next two seasons before earning his PGA Tour card back in 1995-2001. He won the 1998 B.C. Open.

While on the Nationwide Tour he also won -- the 1994 Utah Classic -- and was the Player of the Year and leading money winner on that Tour for 1994 as well.

Interesting baseball tie-in here as Perry is the son of 197o AL Cy Young winner Jim Perry and the nephew of Baseball Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry.

Day of the Year: 166
Number of Autographs This Year: 213

June 14 Report: PGA Tour Star K.J. Choi and Former Rams Quarterack Pat Haden

The addition to the autograph collection today comes from a present-day PGA Tour star and an NFL star from years ago.

First up is the signature of K.J Choi, who was the first Korean player to win on the PGA Tour when he claimed the 2002 Compaq Classic of New Orleans.

He has won seven times to date on the PGA Tour and has played on a pair of Presidents Cup teams.

I'm actually not sure if he signs his full name in Korean here (Kyung-Ju Choi) or if it is just a more difficult read.

Secondly today is the signature of former Los Angeles Rams quarterback Pat Haden. Haden is another one of those guys I grew up watching in the 1970s, so I'm always happy to add another signature from the golden days of my youth to my collection.

Haden passed for nearly 9,300 yards in his career.

One of the interesting, and less well-known, things about Haden is that he was a Rhodes Scholar. When he left USC he played for a year in the World Football League, which allowed him to go to Oxford University.



Day of the Year: 165
Number of Autographs This Year: 212

June 5 Report: PGA Tour Star Rory Sabbatini

Rory Sabbatini has achieved success at every level in which he has played. Whether it was growing up in South Africa, playing collegiately at the University of Arizona or on the PGA Tour, Sabbatini always has enjoyed hoisting trophies.

He was the PAC-10 Player of the Year in 1998, a year after he won three individual titles for the Wildcats.

He's won five times to date on the PGA Tour, including when he set the tournament scoring record en route to winning the 2009 Byron Nelson Championship.

Sabbatini has also won a World Cup partnering with fellow South African Trevor Immelman.

Day of the Year: 156
Number of Autographs This Year: 202

June 4 Report: Former New England Patriot Ronnie Lippett and Left-Handed PGA Tour Winner Eric Axley

Well today marks another milestone. I added a pair of autographs to my ever-growing collection, and that pushed me over the 200-mark for the year. That means just 165 more during the second half of 2010 will allow me to achieve the goal of this blog project!

First up is former New England Patriots CB Ronnie Lippett. Lippett, a native Floridian who played college football at Miami, suited up for the Pats from 1983-88 and 1990-91.

Lippett recorded 24 interceptions in his career. Two of those came against Dan Marino in a 1986 game. That performance resulted in Lippett being named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week.

Today's second success is from my latest subset, where I am trying to get signed golf gloves from every left-handed PGA Tour winner. I've made two requests to date and they've both been met quick success.

This one is from the most recent Southpaw to win on Tour, Eric Axley. Axley won the 2006 Valero Texas Open. Unfortunately he had a rough 2009 season and has lost his playing card. Hopefully he will be able to work himself back into full-time status on the Tour.

Day of the Year: 155
Number of Autographs This Year: 201