It hadn't happened before and it hasn't happened since for any putter brand, but 35 years ago in 1988, PING putters were used to win all four major championships. To celebrate the remarkable achievement, the company is introducing the “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 dropped each Tuesday of this year's four major championship weeks, giving collectors a rare opportunity to own a part of PING's storied putter history.
Only 88 of each model of the handcrafted putters will be available via pingpld.com for $990 (limit one per customer) during the corresponding major's week. On December 5th of this year, collectors will have the opportunity to purchase one of 35 complete sets of the PLD Limited “PING Slam” putters for $4990 (limit one per customer), which will include a custom-designed display unit.
The putters are fully machined and custom built by PING WRX master craftsmen at the company's headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona. Each putter is serialized for authenticity and includes a custom headcover unique to each of the four major events.
“It was a tremendous accomplishment,” remembers PING Executive Chairman John A. Solheim. “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.”
In consultation with Solheim, PING's engineers and historian scoured the company archives, reviewing old images and carefully measuring putter heads to retain the integrity of the four classic designs during the milling process. They even visited the PING Gold Putter Vault to study and analyze each model's intricacies to ensure Karsten's original designs remained intact.
“Having been so involved with Karsten in designing and bringing all four of those models to golfers, it was a lot of fun for me to go back and work with our team to develop the fully machined versions of the iconic designs,” Solheim said. “A lot of what we did back then is still critical to our putter designs today, so we went to great lengths to maintain the subtleties of each model while giving them the precise details and strikingly clean, premium appearance made possible through the milling process.”
As part of PING's Putting Lab Design (PLD) program, the PLD Limited concept offers collectible PING putter designs and celebrates the company's unmatched putter success and heritage. The PLD Limited Anser Patent 55 putter was introduced last year and acknowledged the 55th anniversary of the granting of the Anser patent. Four versions were made available throughout the year, and each sold out in less than three minutes via pingpld.com.
“We're excited to offer these legendary putters to golfers,” said Solheim. “It's a great way to pay tribute to Karsten's success and all he brought to putter designs while celebrating with our loyal PING fans. 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.”
PING Slam model overviews and release timings:
Pal (Masters): Drops April 4 @ 2 pm ET
Material: 100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy, Natural Finish
Historical Overview: A five-time major winner before being used to win at Augusta in 1988, the Pal was introduced in 1971 and was a friend to many. 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 three of the four majors (3 Open Championships, 2 Masters and 1 U.S. Open). In one stretch in the early 1980s, it was used to win the Open Championship three out of four years. It was also in the hands of the first player to shoot 59 in a PGA Tour event, in 1977.
Pal 2 (PGA Championship): Drops May 16 @ 2 pm ET
Material: 100% Milled, 303 Stainless Steel, Natural Finish
Historical Overview: The Pal 2 has the distinction of being the putter model that secured the PING Slam, earning it a unique place in PING's history. Distinguished by its Zing-style hosel, the Pal 2 was cast in stainless steel and featured a white sightline along the trailing edge, along with other eye-pleasing refinements – making it a favorite on tours around the world. Its first major win came a year earlier at the '87 Open Championship and it was also in the bag of the '91 PGA champion.
Zing 2 (U.S. Open): Drops June 13 @ 2 pm ET
Material: 100% Milled, 303 Stainless Steel, Natural Finish
Historical Overview: Inspired by the Zing model (a major winner itself), the original Zing 2 was cast from stainless steel but otherwise shared much of its predecessor's design characteristics. It arrived on tour in 1984 and quickly became a favorite of pros who preferred a heel-shafted design, with the heel-toe weighting pioneered by PING founder Karsten Solheim. When the Zing 2 was used to win the 1988 U.S. Open, it marked the first of its three major titles – all three at America's national championship, including a successful repeat the following year. It also was in the hands of the 1988 U.S. Women's Open champion.
Anser (Open Championship): Drops July 18 @ 2 pm ET
Material: 100% Milled, Aluminum/Bronze Alloy, Natural Finish
Historical Overview: The history of the famous Anser design is well-chronicled, from it first being sketched by Karsten Solheim on a 78-rpm record sleeve to his wife Louise's idea to name the putter Anser, cleverly suggesting Karsten leave out the letter “w” in the word answer to ensure the name would fit on the back of the putter. Since revolutionizing putter design in 1966, the iconic Anser has been used to win every major championship – joined by only the Anser 2 as models to enjoy that claim. With 19 majors to its credit, the standard-setting Anser is still prevalent on tours around the world. It's been used in more than 700 tour wins in its storied history – earning it the title of “Winningest Putter in Golf.” Adding to the authenticity of this 100% milled collector's item is the iconic floating face (aka sound slot) cut into the sole for a crisper feel and sound.