Sam Snead – Biography, Championships, & Facts

Samuel Jackson Snead known as Sam Snead (May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) changed into an American professional golfer. He was one of the pinnacle players in the world for the higher part of four decades (having gained PGA of America and Senior PGA Tour activities over six a long time) and broadly appeared as one of the finest gamers of all time.

Snead earned a remarkable 94 gold medallions for victories in PGA of America Tour events, and he credited with winning a record 82 PGA Tour events, a feat matched only by Tiger Woods. This includes triumphs in seven major championships. He by no means received the U.S. Open, though he became runner-up 4 instances. Snead was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

Snead’s nicknames included “The Slammer,” “Slammin’ Sammy Snead,” and “The Long Ball Hitter from West Virginia. Famed for his folksy image, he wore a straw hat and advised, “Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey, and never concede a putt.” He remarked, “There are no short hitters on the tour anymore, just long and unbelievably long.”

Fellow West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Bill Campbell has said of Snead, “He turned into the finest herbal participant ever. He had the eye of an eagle, the grace of a leopard, and the power of a lion.” Gary Player once said, “I don’t assume there’s any query in my mind that Sam Snead had the finest golf swing of any man or women that ever lived.” Jack Nicklaus said that Snead’s swing turned into “so best.”

Awards

Sam Snead became the PGA main cash winner in 1938, 1949 and 1950. He won the Vardon Trophy, for lowest scoring common, 4 times: 1938, 1949, 1950, and 1955. In 1949, he changed into PGA Golfer of the Year. Snead was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1973. In 1986, Snead was inducted into the Middle Atlantic PGA Hall of Fame. Snead was also inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame and the Helms Hall of Fame.

Snead obtained the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. In 2009, Snead was inducted into the inaugural magnificence of the West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame. In 2016, Snead became the unanimous top desire for inclusion in the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame’s inaugural magnificence.

Personal life

In 1936 he received two fits at the Meadow Brook Club, incomes a $10,000 prize. This gave him the cash he needed to begin playing professionally complete time. In 1944 he became a resident golf expert at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. He maintained ties to Hot Springs and The Homestead all of his existence. During the wintry weather, he became a resident gambling seasoned at the Boca Raton Resort from 1956 to 1969. He returned to the Mid-Atlantic, stopping at The Masters Tournament on his way lower back to The Greenbrier.

Sam Snead served in the U.S. Navy in the course of World War II from 1942 to 1944. He becomes an athletic professional in Cmdr. Gene Tunney’s software in San Diego, and become given a scientific discharge for returned damage in September 1944.

Career

In the following month, he won the first of 17 West Virginia Open championships by defeating Art Clark by five strokes at Guyan Country Club in Huntington, West Virginia. During Snead’s debut year on the PGA Tour in 1937, he won six events, including the Oakland Open at Claremont Country Club in California and his second West Virginia Open. In the U.S. Open hosted at Oakland Hills, he finished runner-up to Ralph Guldahl.

In Snead’s first of tries in The Open Championship, he completed tied for 11th. While operating at The Greenbrier, Snead performed in the U.S. Pro Tennis Championships. In the primary spherical, he confronted eventual winner Karel Kozeluh, dropping to Kozeluh with the aid of scores of 6–1, 6–1, and 6–1.

In 1939, Sam Snead gained three times. 1939 was the primary of 4 instances (even though Snead had already come near in 1937, dropping to the eventual champion who had 19 clubs in his bag) wherein Snead failed at crucial moments of the U.S. Open, the most important occasion he by no means received. Needing a par to win at the Philadelphia.

In December 1959, Snead participated in a controversial match against Mason Rudolph at the Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda. However, during the televised event, which was part of the “World Championship Golf” series, Snead made a surprising decision. It was during the final holes, specifically on the 12th hole, that he realized he had too many golf clubs in his bag. Consequently, Snead chose to intentionally lose the match.

The fit changed into tied at that level. The more membership in his bag, a fairway wooden Snead was experimenting with in practice, meant Rudolph had gained at the 12th hole at once, 11 and 7, after making use of the lack of hole penalty, even though he did no longer use it throughout the round.

After the match was over, Snead defined the problem and stated he did not disqualify himself in order not to spoil the show. The hassle did now not turn out to be acknowledged outside a small circle till the show was televised 4 months later. After the incident came to mild, the sponsor canceled in addition to participation in the collection.

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Starting in 1960, Snead hosted TV’s Celebrity Golf program, competing for charity in 9-hole contests. He emceed by Harry von Zell against Hollywood celebrities like Dean Martin and Bob Hope. Sam Snead had seemed with Martin and Lewis in their 1953 comedy movie, The Caddy.

On February 7, 1962, at age 49, Snead won the Royal Poinciana Plaza Invitational, an LPGA Tour “Battle of the Sexes” match where he confronted off in opposition to 14 LPGA pros. The low woman becomes Mickey Wright, herself Snead’s equivalent in ladies’ golfing, with the most wins on that excursion.

His 1962 autobiography became titled The Education of a Golfer. Sam Snead later wrote.

In the first Legends of Golf event, which became the impetus for the appearance, years later, of the Senior PGA Tour, now the Champions Tour.

In 1979, he was the youngest PGA Tour golfer to shoot his age (67) inside the 2nd round of the 1979 Quad Cities Open. He shot below his age (66) within the very last round.

In 1982, he teamed with Don January to shoot 27-underneath-par to win the rain-shortened 54-hole Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf event at Onion Creek Club “The Birthplace of the Senior PGA Tour” in Austin, Texas. This victory might mark victories for Snead that spanned over six many years (Thirties–Eighties) winning excursion and senior excursion sports.

Snead Death

Snead died in Hot Springs, Virginia in 2002 following complications from a stroke, four days before his 90th birthday. He was survived by two sons: Sam Jr. of Hot Springs, and Terry, of Mountain Grove, Virginia, and a brother, Pete, of Pittsburgh, as well as two grandchildren. His wife Audrey died in 1990. His nephew J. C. Snead was also a PGA Tour golfer.