John Pavelko is on a mission in the name of his father.

“My dad was such an incredible man,” he recalls. “Some of my fondest memories are putting contests with my dad until it got dark, and he was using this putter.”

Pavelko says his father, Pat, was passionate about golf — and passed on that love to his children.

The elder Pavelko died in May after a twelve-year battle with prostate cancer.

John — an LPGA caddie, has kept the putter as a kind of family heirloom — until just days ago.

“Sunday night, someone broke into my car, smashed out the back windshield, and took a bunch of my golf clubs,” Pavelko says. “The only thing that I really care about in that trunk was my dad’s putter, and it’s worth nothing, but it’s my most prized possession.”

He isn’t alone.

According to Minneapolis Police crime statistics, there have been 78 thefts from vehicles in the North Loop.

That’s down slightly from the same period last year — about 87 vehicle break-ins.

“When I came to my car, I noticed there was a broken window,” declared Nadeem Schwen, who uses the same parking garage as Pavelko.

That same night — someone smashed a window in Schwen’s Tesla and broke a back window in a car parked nearby.

Schwen’s car camera shot videos of a man at his car, who he says came back later.

“When I watched the videos, the guy came up without any sort of facial mask, looking with a flashlight at the surrounding cars,” he explains. “And then he comes back with a mask on his face, and then he tries to break, well — smashing a bunch of car windows, and then the alarm goes off, and he runs away.”

Minneapolis Police say this is an open and active investigation.

Pavelko says he’s looked everywhere for the missing putter, from pawn shops to second-hand sports stores and even dumpsters in the neighborhood.

His family is offering a $500 reward for the safe return of the putter.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has reached out to the property management for comment but has not heard back.

Pavelko says he’d just like his putter back.

“Just keep an eye for it please,” he asks. “I hope people are not as dumb as I am, and can be smart and make sure, don’t leave stuff in your cars.”