Ping Reveals Special 50th Anniversary Anser Putter

The 50th anniversary Anser putter has been made from the original moulds, built with components made in the US, and supplied by the same retailers used in 1966

Ping Reveals Special 50th Anniversary Anser Putter

To mark 50 years since its inception, Ping has introduced a classic take on the iconic Anser putter.

The limited-edition model has been made from the original moulds and built with components made in the US which are supplied by the same retailers used back in 1966.

Ping Chairman and CEO John Solheim has hand ground each Anser putter, just as he did in his family's garage 50 years ago.

“This has been a fun project and to be able to make it entirely in the United States is extra special,” said Solheim.

“It brought back a lot of great memories from the days in our garage near Scottsdale. The Anser is the most successful putter design ever and its place in history is unquestioned. Who could have imagined 50 years after its invention it would still be the most dominant design on tour? It seems like golfers of all abilities have used an Anser putter at some point. This limited-edition version is a tribute to that success and a look to the future with some of the technology we’ve added in the form of tungsten in the heel and toe to bring it to modern-day weights.”

“Most people don’t realise the amount of hand work that went into the original Anser putters 50 years ago,” added Solheim. “I built most of the original Ansers in the garage, starting with machining and grinding the raw castings and continuing on through final assembly. My brother Allan machined the second mould, which is slightly different and often referred to as the ‘slope-side’ mold. We wanted to bring that hand crafted approach back as part of the Anser’s 50-year celebration and its remarkable contribution to golf.”

Ping will produce 1,550 right-handed 50th anniversary Ansers, 775 from each of Karsten and Allan's molds. The putters will be marked with either “K” or “A” in the serial number on the inside of the hosel to distinguish which mold they came from. Left-handed models are also available.

The 50th annivesary Anser is at authorised Ping golf shops worldwide. It comes in a commemorative presentation box with a leather putter cover and a certificate of authenticity personally signed by John Solheim. The RRP is £850.

The Story of the Anser

The original concept for the Anser putter was sketched by Karsten Solheim in early 1966 and was patented the next year. The name was inspired by his desire to find an “answer” to the popular putter at the time. His wife, Louise, suggested he call it “Answer” but Solheim was concerned it was too long to fit on the toe. She told him to leave out the “w” and the rest is history. It went on to become the most successful (and most copied) putter model in golf, with more than 500 tour titles to its credit, including 19 men’s major championships. Its first win came in 1966 at the Florida Citrus Open. The Anser’s first major victory was at the 1969 Masters won by George Archer.