Archive for golf
Brag Photo: Masters Champion Bubba Watson to Appear in 2012 SP Authentic Golf
Posted by: | CommentsWhat’s not to like about Bubba Watson? He is an amazing talent on the golf course. He is a man of faith. He is a family man. He is a lefty who hits the ball over 350 yards. He likes pink. He is the type of player you just can’t help rooting for. He wanted an Upper Deck card, and we’ve delivered over and over again. And now he is the 2012 Masters Champion. It has been a lot of fun to watch Bubba get better and better since we began working with him. I personally have the feeling that “Bubba Golf,” is here to stay and we are going to see a lot more from him with regard to amazing shots and more tour victories in the future.
Upper Deck has produced some cards of Bubba Watson before for promotional and multi-sport set, but this July we will be releasing the first stand-alone golf set since 2005 and there will be plenty of Bubba content to go around. Enjoy this sneak peek at just some of the Bubba Watson cards you can find in 2012 SP Authentic Golf.
This is what Bubba's base rookie card will look like. We also have autograph parallels in the works as well.
This will be one of the autograph parallel cards in the set.
Here is another autograph parallel card in the 2012 SP Authentic Golf set of Bubba.
There will be a variety of topical multi-signed cards in 2012 SP Authentic Golf as well featuring Bubba Watson. This one showcases signatures from some of the longest drivers in the game.
Cards depicted for demonstration purposes only. Cards and set content subject to change without further notice.
Popularity: 1% [?]
A Tradition Unlike Any Other: Why Upper Deck Fans Think The Masters is so Special
Posted by: | CommentsThe Masters is a golf tournament unlike any other. It is rich in history and a steeped in tradition. And when it comes down to Sunday, families gather around the television set to see who will be awarded the prestigious green jacket. We asked our fans what makes The Masters so special and here is what they shared:
What makes it special to Richard Radke is that anyone can win it. And he is certainly right there. Most recently we saw it with the defending champion Charl Schwartzel in 2011. Eight players had a share of the lead in the final round, but Charl was able to outlast them. Charl will actually be featured in Upper Deck’s new 2012 SP Authentic Golf set where collectors can grab his first-ever rookie autograph cards.
Younger players like Charl Schwartzel and Keegan Bradley make an event like The Masters exciting because you never know who is going to win!
James Arthur and Nathan Hully told us they love the green jackets. Now that really is an award unlike any other. The tradition of awarding the green jacket actually began in 1949, but its use actually dates back to 1937. That year members of the Augusta National Golf Club wore green jackets during the tournament so fans with questions could easily recognize who they should ask.
Éloi Bérubé told us that the most special part is the 12th hole at Augusta. It is the shortest hole on the course, but likely the most memorable and potentially the most difficult. Water, bunkers and a thin green all come into play and when putting players may certainly feel as though they are on an island with no gallery in attendance. Upper Deck Authenticated actually produced a beautiful piece commemorating a portion of “Amen Corner.” It shows“The Three Masters;” Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer on the 11th green with the 12th hole appearing in the background.
In golf, there is nothing quite like "Amen Corner."
And for William Davis, he believes it is Tiger Woods’ dominance that makes the event special. No doubt about it, Tiger has been very successful at Augusta through the years. He has won the green jacket four times and was favored to win this event now that he seems to be back to his winning ways. As the exclusive provider of Tiger Woods signed trading cards and memorabilia, Upper Deck couldn’t be happier about that and we hope he has a successful outing this weekend.
Both golf fans and collectors couldn't be happier about the fact that Tiger is back!
To make the weekend more exciting, Upper Deck has a special promotion to share with our fans. As Tiger goes through the Masters weekend, you can score some great discounts on his signed memorabilia, but you’ll have to act quickly. After his final score posts each day, subtract that number from 100 and you can receive that discount on any of the Tiger Woods memorabilia available at the Upper Deck Online Store for the next 24 hours. So if Tiger shoots a 62 today, you can get 38% off his memorabilia for 24 hours after his final score posts. When he scores, you save!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Upper Deck’s ‘World of Sports’ Returns with Top Sports Stars and ‘Evolution’ Video Cards
Posted by: | CommentsOne of the surprise hits of last year’s trading card releases was Upper Deck’s “World of Sports” product as it offered collectors a unique pack opening experience with star athletes from basketball, baseball, swimming, skiing, ice hockey, figure skating, golf, lacrosse and mixed martial arts. The set returns arriving in stores today and it offers the same great diversity of top tier athletes, but mixes in some unique surprises like “Evolution” video cards as well.
Boasting a bigger base set than last year and the inclusion of football stars to the set, Upper Deck’s “World of Sports” set is sure to be a fan favorite. It features 400 cards from athletes like Nolan Ryan, Don Mattingly and Mike Schmidt from baseball; LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Jimmer Fredette from basketball; Bo Jackson, Drew Brees and Cam Newton from football; and Sidney Crosby, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux from hockey. Mix in other premium stars from soccer, golf, horse racing, mixed martial arts, track & field, lacrosse, extreme sports, racing and even dog sledding and you get the feel that Upper Deck’s “World of Sports” set is really a different kind of trading card release.
“No other company but Upper Deck could provide sports fans with such an amazingly diverse checklist of sports stars to collect,” said Jason Masherah, Upper Deck vice president of Marketing & Business Development. “And nowhere else can fans find such an assorted set of innovative insert cards from these stars to collect like signature cards, apparel cards, ‘Shadowbox’ trading cards and the ‘Evolution’ video trading cards. And as part of our continued effort to reduce redemption cards, all autograph content for ‘World of Sports’ is live in the product. It is completely redemption free.”
That’s right! The “Evolution” video trading cards made their debut last season in football, but these innovative inserts take on the hard court. Lucky collectors may find “Evolution” basketball video trading cards of superstars like Michael Jordan, Chris Paul and more inserted into new boxes of Upper Deck’s “World of Sport.” This is the first-ever video trading card for Michael Jordan and with copies of the cards extremely limited, they are sure to be in high demand. Video footage shows 60 seconds of highlights from college action of these hoop legends. Check them out:
Upper Deck’s new “World of Sports” set is currently available in stores now and each hobby box includes 20 packs with six cards per pack. Collectors can find three autographs or apparel cards in each box on average.
Popularity: 2% [?]
Brag Video: Tiger Woods Mail Day!
Posted by: | CommentsCollectors frequently get excited about mail days from other collectors or trading card companies, but at Upper Deck, we get excited about mail days too. Whether it is an athlete returning signed cards to us or new pieces of unique memorabilia we receive in, it is always exciting to see what is coming into UD headquarters.
Tiger is making other golfers fear the red shirt again. Will 2012 be the year of Tiger?
Now some believe that 2012 will be the year that we see Tiger Woods return to greatness. We got a taste of Tiger’s rejuvenated talent recently when he won his first tournament of 2011 which was extremely exciting. Take a look as Upper Deck’s Tim Doull receives in a package from Tiger’s camp with some pretty cool items inside:
The items will be signed by Tiger at a future signing and then offered up to collectors through Upper Deck’s Suite One-of-One program where we feature some of our most premium collectibles. Look for your chance to add this amazing piece of memorabilia to your collection soon!
Popularity: 1% [?]
2012 – The Year of the Tiger
Posted by: | Comments2012 is officially the year of the Dragon according to the Chinese calendar, but the golfing calendar says it will be the year of the Tiger. After an abysmal 2011 season where Tiger Woods fell from number one in the golf rankings to number 56, it seems as though Tiger Woods will rise again and be a dominating force in 2012.
How can this be? From all appearances Tiger struggles to make cuts and is in the process of his fourth swing change with a new caddy. Tiger has given us a free sample of what he will do in 2012. The kind you get on aisle seven of the grocery store and you just want more. Tiger was a dominating force at the Presidents Cup thanks to a helpful putting tip from Steve Striker and last week he won his first tournament in two years at the Chevron World Challenge.
Tiger is on the rise and now the 21st ranked player in the world looking to make this a year to remember. The 2012 PGA tour season offers several opportunities where Tiger can return to glory, one of them being The Masters. Even at his lowest point Tiger was in contention in The Masters finishing sixth in 2009 and fourth in 2010. Most tour professionals just hope to play in The Masters one day, let alone finish in the top ten. I believe Tiger will win The Masters in 2012.
Tiger has always shown an ability to succeed at Augusta, even in the face of adversity.
His schedule for the season looks to be one that will be favorable for him to have success as well. Before The Masters Tiger will have played in no fewer than seven events; five of them being venues he has dominated at in the past. Tiger will scatter some wins in those events before the main event in Augusta. After The Masters the tour schedule pretty much opens the door for Tiger to take control. Tiger will play in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans for the first time, a promise to Commissioner Tim Finchem. The U.S. Open is right down the road from Pebble Beach at Olympic Club and we all know how well he did at Pebble. Tiger will play in more events this year than any other year which gives him plenty of opportunity for success.
Still not believing in Tiger’s return? Let me share why I believe he will be successful in 2012. This is the first year Tiger will be focusing on golf since 2008 and a focused Tiger is a deadly Tiger. The last time Tiger made a caddy switch was with Jim Furyk’s current caddy Fluff to Stevie and that worked out well for him. Tiger Woods is taking all the steps that indicate his mind is finally right and ready for the 2012 season. His body appears to be right as well and after several knee surgeries Tiger is actually healthy. And based on what we saw last weekend, Tiger seems to have worked out most of the kinks from his recent swing change.
You can't dispute that Tiger has a sweet swing...
There is an old saying, “buy low, sell high.” Those who have picked up their Tiger Woods memorabilia on the cheap over the last two years will likely be fist pumping along with Tiger as he hoists trophies throughout the season. UD’s Chris Carlin said Tiger was the #8 athlete to invest in back in August because of he has provided sports fans moments they will never forget. I bet if we asked Chris now he would have Tiger in his top three of athletes to acquire memorabilia of.
Something else interesting is happening; fans are ready to cheer for him again, apparently louder than ever. That additional support has got to mean the world to Tiger who is very appreciative of the attention of his fans. He will draw us off the couch and bring us to our feet celebrating breathtaking shots and nail-biting putts. The red shirt on Sunday will once again cause opponents to be afraid and fans to cheer. Welcome to 2012; The Year of the Tiger.
Popularity: 2% [?]
