Antique Hickory Shaft Tom Stewart St Andrews Scotland Niblick Francis Ouimet

I just received a number of irons including Tom Stewart irons to sell for a friend and will be listing them in the next several days so be sure to check back often and see my other clubs for sale. Simply click on See Other Items below my eBay name and feedback rating. If you are going to bid on multiple clubs and win one, please wait to pay until you are finished bidding as I will combine the shipping which will  save you some money. This listing is for an antique vintage hickory shaft right handed 36 3/4" iron. Marked Niblick. Lined face, 56* loft and an E 9 swingweight. Made by the famous cleek maker Tom Stewart of St Andrews Scotland. Has his famous Pipe cleek mark on the back along with his name and St Andrews in an oval. While a niblick is a relatively common iron this one has a most unusual stamp on the back near the top line. The stamping is an S inside an O. Francis Ouimet's unlikely victory at the 1913 U S Open will live forever. Ouimet was an amateur (the first amateur to win the U S Open) and always competed as an amateur much like the immortal Bobby Jones. In 1915 soon after his Open victory Ouimet and his future brother-in-law, James Sullivan (an amateur golfer of note in his own right), opened a full line sporting goods store in Boston. The store did stock golf clubs and they had the Store's name, Ouimet and Sullivan, stamped on the clubs by the makers. The USGA deemed this to be an indication of professionalism and declared Ouimet and Sullivan both professionals. Sullivan and Ouimet both fought the decision.  I suspect the USGA acted quickly and Ouimet, being the consummate amateur he was, never sold very many golf clubs with his name on them or perhaps even destroyed the remaining stock. During their battle with the USGA it is quite possible that they took their spelled out names off the clubs they sold (check out the Ouimet and Sullivan Tom Stewart jigger I currently have on eBay for an example) and replaced it with an S inside and O in hopes of placating the USGA. In any event  you rarely see either Ouimet stamps. The Ouimet and Sullivan store was sold to Wannamaker's after Ouimet joined the army in 1917 and the USGA restored Ouimet's armature status. The head is clean and not all rusted. It has the expected minor play marks and dings. Please look at the zoom pictures for a better idea of condition. The shaft appears to be the original hickory. It is straight, I see no cracks and it has some play at the hosel (all hickory shafts irons should be reset prior to play). The grip is an old long leather wrap that is in fair vintage condition. There are two areas of whipping on the shaft but I do not see a crack on either side of them. I believe they are there simply to strengthen the shaft for play.   Shipping in the US is calculated and based on a 2 pound box. The further you are from me in NC the more shipping will be-that is the way the carriers charge. Shipping  to foreign countries will be much higher and is also calculated. In accordance with the current Ebay policy I am only allowed to state that I accept payment via Paypal. NC residents must add sales tax.