The PLD Anser Patent 55 in copper, the third of four fully machined collector’s models being offered as part of a year-long celebration acknowledging the issuance of the Anser putter patent 55 years ago, is available exclusively through pingpld.com beginning Monday at 2 pm ET.
Only 55 of the precision-milled, handcrafted putters, which are made in the USA and serialized, will be available via the website for $790 (limit one per customer).
The choice of copper as the material is a tribute to Arizona and its rich tradition as the country’s leading producer of copper. Arizona has also been the home of PING for more than 60 years and it’s where founder Karsten Solheim first sketched the Anser design on a 78-rpm record sleeve in 1966.
“The celebration of the Anser patent’s 55th anniversary through our PLD program has been very exciting and rewarding,” said PING Executive Chairman John A. Solheim. “It’s generated renewed interest in the Anser story and shed deserving light on its game-changing role in putter engineering and the continued influence it has on putter designs today.”
“The first two versions of the PLD Anser Patent 55 sold out in less than three minutes, so we’re encouraging those interested to be ready promptly when we make them available on Monday,” he said. “Several golfers have acquired the first two versions and we expect they’ll be ready on Monday to add to their collection in hopes of collecting all four.”
The Anser Story
Granted on March 21,1967, by the U.S. Patent office and assigned the number D207-227, the game-changing Anser patent set the standard in putter design that still dominates the winner’s circle today. More than 700 Anser victories are represented in the PING Gold Putter Vault, including the 1969 Masters, the first of 20 major victories for PING’s most iconic design.
The history of the famous 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. Earning its first PGA Tour win at the 1966 Florida Citrus Open, just over a month after its introduction at the Phoenix Open, the Anser’s instant popularity changed the trajectory of the company practically overnight as demand grew so quickly it necessitated a move out of the family’s Scottsdale, Ariz., garage and into a small building in north Phoenix to keep up with production. The original building still stands at the company’s 50-acre headquarters.
The Anser is also famous for its influence on other putter designers in the golf industry, many of whom celebrated the day the patent expired.
“A lot of time has passed since the invention of the Anser putter,” said John A. Solheim, the youngest son of Karsten and Louise. “We think it’s important to remind the golf industry and some of the younger golfers that the familiar putter design they see with other brands’ name on it was created by Karsten in his garage in the mid-1960s. I was fortunate to be at his side building the first Ansers and continued to do so for many years. It was among Karsten’s many contributions to the game that eventually earned him induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame, the only manufacturer to be so honored. We’re flattered that the design has had such a significant influence on putter design for the last 55 years and we think this is a great time to celebrate its continuing success by offering golfers a piece of PING history with the introduction of the PLD Anser Patent 55 model.”
The final PLD Anser Patent 55 is gold plated and milled from stainless steel. It will be available on December 12.
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