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Sam Snead

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Image:Sam Snead 2003 book.jpg

Samuel Jackson "Sam" Snead (May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an American golfer who was one of the top players in the world for most of 4 decades. He and two others of the greatest golfers of all time, Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, were born within 6 months of each other in 1912. He won a record 82 PGA Tour events and about 70 others worldwide. He won seven majors: three Masters, three PGA Championships and one British Open. In spite of his great achievements, his reputation has always been slightly tainted by his failure to win a U.S. Open.

Snead was famed for his folksy image, wearing a straw hat and playing tournaments barefoot, and making such statements as "Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey, and never concede a putt." His nickname was "Slammin' Sammy."

Snead was born in Ashwood, Virginia near Hot Springs, Virginia where he died four days short of his 90th birthday. He was survived by two sons, Sam Jr., of Hot Springs, Virginia and Terry, of Mountain Grove, Virginia; a brother, Pete, of Pittsburgh; and two grandchildren. His wife, Audrey, died in 1990.

Snead won the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998, and has been inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Contents

[edit] Career

In 1937, his first year on the Tour, he won five events, including the Oakland Open at Claremont Country Club in California.

In 1938, he first won the Greater Greensboro Open, which he won eight times, the Tour record for victories at an event, concluding in 1965 at the age of 52, making him the oldest player to win a PGA Tour event.

1939 was the first of several times he failed at crucial moments of the U.S. Open, the only major event he never won.

He won 11 events in 1950. No one has since won more in one year.

He won the Vardon Trophy for lowest scoring average four times: 1938, 1949, 1950, and 1955.

He played on seven Ryder Cup teams: 1937, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, and 1959, and captained the team in 1951, 1959, and 1969.

In 1971, he won the PGA Professional National Championship.

In 1974, at age 62, he shot a one-under-par 279 to come in third (three strokes behind winner Lee Trevino) at the PGA Championship at Tanglewood in Clemmons, North Carolina.

In 1978 he won the first Legends of Golf event, which was the impetus for the creation two years later of the Senior PGA TOUR, now known as the Champions Tour.

In 1979 he was the youngest PGA Tour golfer to shoot his age (67) in the second round of the 1979 Quad Cities Open. He shot under his age (66) in the final round.

In 1983, at age 71, he shot a round of 60 (12-under-par) at the Homestead in Hot Springs.

In 1997, at age 85, he shot a round of 78 at the Old White course of The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

In 1998, he received the fourth PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award.

From 1984 to 2002, he hit the honorary starting tee shot at The Masters. Until 1999, he was joined by Gene Sarazen, and until 2001, by Byron Nelson.

[edit] Records

PGA Tour records

[edit] PGA Tour wins (82)

Major championships are shown in bold.

[edit] Senior wins (13)

[edit] Major Championships

[edit] Wins (7)

Year Championship 54 Holes Winning Score Margin of Victory Runners Up
1942 PGA Championship N/A 2 & 1 2 strokes Image:Flag of the United States.svg Jim Turnesa
1946 British Open Tied for lead -2 (71-70-74-75=290) 4 strokes Image:Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Bulla, Image:Flag of South Africa.svg Bobby Locke
1949 Masters 1 stroke deficit -6 (73-75-67-67=282) 3 strokes Image:Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Bulla, Image:Flag of the United States.svg Lloyd Mangrum
1949 PGA Championship (2)N/A 3 & 2 3 strokes Image:Flag of the United States.svg Johnny Palmer
1951 PGA Championship (3)N/A 7 & 6 7 strokes Image:Flag of the United States.svg Walter Burkemo
1952 Masters (2)Tied for lead -2 (70-67-77-72=286) 4 strokes Image:Flag of the United States.svg Jack Burke Jr.
1954 Masters (3)3 shot deficit +1 (74-73-70-72=289) Playoff 1Image:Flag of the United States.svg Ben Hogan

Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958.
1 Defeated Ben Hogan in 18-hole playoff - Snead (70), Hogan (71)

[edit] Results timeline

Tournament 1937 1938 1939
The Masters 18 T31 2
U.S. Open 2 T38 5
British Open T11 DNP DNP
PGA Championship T9 2 DNP
Tournament 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949
The Masters T7 T6 T7 NT NT NT T7 T22 T16 1
U.S. Open T16 T13 NT NT NT NT T19 2 5 T2
British Open NT NT NT NT NT NT 1 DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship 2 T5 1 NT DNP DNP T17 T17 T5 1
Tournament 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959
The Masters 3 T8 1 T15 1 3 T4 2 13 T22
U.S. Open T12 T10 T10 2 T11 T3 T24 T8 CUT T8
British Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship T17 1 T33 T17 T5 T17 T5 T9 3 T8
Tournament 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
The Masters T11 T15 T15 T3 CUT CUT T42 T10 42 CUT
U.S. Open T19 T17 T38 T42 T34 T24 DNP DNP T9 T38
British Open DNP DNP T6 DNP DNP CUT DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship T3 T27 T17 T27 DNP T6 T6 DNP T34 T63
Tournament 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
The Masters T23 CUT T27 T29 T20 WD CUT WD CUT CUT
U.S. Open CUT DNP DNP T29 DNP CUT DNP CUT DNP DNP
British Open DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP DNP CUT DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship T12 T34 T4 T9 T3 CUT CUT T54 DNP T42
Tournament 1980 1981 1982 1983
The Masters CUT CUT WD WD
U.S. Open DNP DNP DNP DNP
British Open DNP DNP DNP DNP
PGA Championship WD WD DNP DNP

NT = No tournament
DNP = Did not play
WD = Withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.

Summary of major championship performances:

  • Starts - 117
  • Wins - 7
  • 2nd place finishes - 8
  • Top 3 finishes - 22
  • Top 5 finishes - 29
  • Top 10 finishes - 48
  • Longest Streak of Top 10s in majors - 3

[edit] Trivia

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

nl:Sam Snead no:Sam Snead sv:Sam Snead

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