Eagle eye? FBI found Arnold Palmer’s Masters green jacket on sale in Chicago as it uncovered $5.6M theft
<span;>In the main photo, Arnold Palmer wears a Masters green jacket as he’s flanked by Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as they pose at the 2016 golf tournament. The inset photo shows Richard Globensky walking outside.
<span;>The FBI learned in 2022 that golf great Arnold Palmer’s Masters Tournament jacket was for sale in Lincoln Park, a discovery that eventually helped uncover a multimillion-dollar theft from Augusta National Golf Club, court records revealed Wednesday.
<span;>Those details became known after Richard Globensky, 39, of Georgia, admitted in court that he stole Palmer’s jacket and other memorabilia in a scheme that netted him $5.6 million and lasted more than a decade.
<span;>An unidentified broker who tried to help sell Palmer’s jacket in 2022 said the owner would part with it for $4.2 million, records show. That broker later settled for $3.6 million — while the FBI watched.
<span;>Globensky pleaded guilty to one criminal charge Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman at the Dirksen Federal Courthouse. He was initially charged here last month, but in a barebones document that revealed hardly any details about the accusations against him.
<span;>Now, it’s known the investigation involved a secret cooperating source, recorded phone calls, and one of the most storied names in sports history. Palmer won the Masters Tournament, hosted by Augusta National Golf Club, in 1958, 1960, 1962 and 1964. Each time, he was awarded the same jacket.
<span;>The club awards the tournament’s winner a green jacket each year that is otherwise made available only to club members. After a year has passed, the winners are required to return the jackets to the club.
<span;>Palmer’s jacket featured a white nameplate with “Arnold Palmer” written on it. It had a patch from the tailor, Hart Schaffner & Marx, along with another tag listing the date the jacket was made: “2-19-58.”
<span;>Though court records seem to identify the Lincoln Park collector who had the jacket in 2022, that person has not been criminally charged. The Chicago Sun-Times attempted to call the collector, but the person who answered the phone claimed a reporter had the wrong number.
<span;>Palmer’s jacket is believed to have been stolen in 2012, according to court records. Augusta National Golf Club earlier tried to preserve it for its historic significance. It sent the jacket out to a local dry cleaner in 2008 to be cleaned and treated.
<span;>The club then placed the jacket in a large archive vault. But that vault was renovated in 2012, records show. All items inside were temporarily moved. When they were returned, Palmer’s jacket was missing.
<span;>It also appeared the jacket was stolen — not simply misplaced. During the move, all items were placed in boxes numbered “1 of 10,” “2 of 10” and so on, using a fine point marker, records show. But during a later inventory, it was discovered the labels had been changed to “1 of 9″ through “9 of 9″ with a thick black marker.