This lot offers a rare pairing of a contestant's badge and a ticket from the 1938 U.S. Open Championship held June 9-11 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Englewood CO. Hall of Famer Ralph Guldahl won the secondof his back-to-back U.S. Open titles doing so with five fewer clubs than theyear prior. The USGA rule went into effect earlier in the year limiting competitors to 14 clubs.  At the time Guldahl became the just the fourth to defend his titleat the U.S. Open joining Willie Anderson John McDermott and Bobby Jones. Only three others since 1938 have accomplished this feat: Ben Hogan (1951); Curtis Strange (1989); and Brooks Koepka (2018).

There were 160 entries in the '38 U.S. Open and each player received acontestant badge like this one. The orange and white enameledfront bears the name year and site of the tournament on the front. Thereverse is stamped with "118" (the unknown contestant's number we presume)and "Robbins Co. Attleboro" for the manufacturer. Measures 33 mm longand weighs 16 grams. The bronze colored metallic badge has its pin clasp intact on the back and shows significant wear and aging from its 80 years of existence. The accompanying full unused ticket is to the final two rounds played on Saturday June 11. The blue square ticket with its original sting still attached comes in remarkable condition (NM) with no creases and little edge or corner wear.