A golf-themed painting given to Barack Obama from his wife Michelle this Christmas carries with it one of golf’s most unique stories from the past few years. According to a report by Golf Digest, No. 44 received a hand-drawn rendering of the 12th hole at Augusta National created by Valentino Dixon.
Dixon spent 27 years of a life sentence in prison for a murder he didn’t commit but was exonerated in 2018. Golf Digest reporting played a major role in Dixon’s release.
Dixon’s story was recently featured on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, which is celebrating its 25th season. Michelle Obama reportedly saw the segment and was so moved she purchased a Dixon original of the iconic hole.
After his 2018 release, Dixon credited the numerous golf paintings he created during his incarceration for keeping him going. Interestingly, the painting that will now reside with the Obamas was Dixon’s first work completed as a free man. Golf Digest reports it’s a 20-inch-by-30-inch colored-pencil on matte-board entitled “Augusta The Beautiful.”
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