PHOENIX (December 8, 2022) – A gold-plated, fully milled, stainless-steel PLD Anser Patent 55 putter is the fourth and final collector’s model being offered as part of a year-long celebration acknowledging the issuance of the Anser putter patent 55 years ago. It is available exclusively through pingpld.com beginning Monday at 2 p.m. ET.
Only 55 of the precision-milled, handcrafted putters, which are made in the USA and serialized, will be available via the website for $990 (limit one per customer). The first three models sold out within minutes, so those interested are encouraged to plan accordingly.
Choosing to gold-plate the final version of the collection is a tribute to the Anser’s unmatched record of winning, which led to its prominence in PING’s world-renowned Gold Putter Vault -- a tradition started by PING Founder Karsten Solheim in the early 1970s and home to more than 3,200 gold-plated PING putters, each representing a victory. Since its invention in 1966, the Anser has won more than 700 professional tournaments around the world.
“I can’t think of a better way to complete this wonderful celebration of the Anser putter and its game-changing patent,” said PING Executive Chairman John A. Solheim, who custom built the very first Anser putters in the family garage as a teenager. “Our tradition of awarding gold-plated PING putters to tournament champions has arguably created the most valuable collection of putters in the world. It’s a great source of pride for us, and golfers who have a chance to visit the Vault stand in amazement as they soak in its place in history. The Anser putter occupies the most space by far in the Vault, so it’s only natural we’d offer a gold-plated version to complete the PLD Limited collection.”
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, including 20 major championships.
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.”
For more information, contact Pete Samuels (602) 687-5487.
PING, PLD, PLD Limited and Anser are registered and unregistered trademarks of Karsten Manufacturing Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners.