| Sam Snead | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Snead in 1967 | |||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Full name | Samuel Jackson Snead | ||||||||||
| Nickname |
| ||||||||||
| Born | May 27, 1912 Ashwood, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Died | May 23, 2002 (aged 89) Hot Springs, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) | ||||||||||
| Sporting nationality |  United States | ||||||||||
| Spouse |
Audrey Karnes
(m. 1940; died 1990) | ||||||||||
| Children | 2 | ||||||||||
| Career | |||||||||||
| Turned professional | 1934 | ||||||||||
| Former tour(s) | |||||||||||
| Professional wins | 142 | ||||||||||
| Number of wins by tour | |||||||||||
| PGA Tour | 82 (Tied 1st all time) | ||||||||||
| LPGA Tour | 1 | ||||||||||
| Other |
| ||||||||||
| Best results in major championships (wins: 7) | |||||||||||
| Masters Tournament | Won: 1949, 1952, 1954 | ||||||||||
| PGA Championship | Won: 1942, 1949, 1951 | ||||||||||
| U.S. Open | 2nd/T2: 1937, 1947, 1949, 1953 | ||||||||||
| The Open Championship | Won: 1946 | ||||||||||
| Achievements and awards | |||||||||||
| |||||||||||
Samuel Jackson Snead (/sniːd/; May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for the better part of four decades (having won PGA of America and Senior PGA Tour events over six decades)[1] and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Snead was awarded a record 94 gold medallions, for wins in PGA of America (referred to by most as the PGA) Tour[2][3] events[4] and later credited with winning a record 82 PGA Tour events[5][6] tied with Tiger Woods, including seven majors. He never won the U.S. Open, though he was runner-up four times. 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", and he was admired by many for having a "perfect swing", which generated many imitators. Snead was famed for his folksy image, wearing a straw hat, and making such statements as "Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey, and never concede a putt."[7] and "There are no short hitters on the tour anymore, just long and unbelievably long."[8] Fellow West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Bill Campbell has said of Snead, "He was the best natural player ever. He had the eye of an eagle, the grace of a leopard, and the strength of a lion." Gary Player once said, "I don't think there's any question in my mind that Sam Snead had the greatest golf swing of any human being that ever lived." Jack Nicklaus said that Snead's swing was "so perfect."
- ^ Sam Snead, Golf Legend. Global Sportsline Toronto. November 11, 2012. Archived from the original on December 11, 2021 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Snead inducted onto the Middle Atlantic PGA Hall of Fame". PGA Middle Atlantic Section. Archived from the original on July 16, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
- ^ Gabriel, Mike (2001). The Professional Golfers' Association Tour: a history. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0844-8. LCCN 00068720. OCLC 1069744188.
- ^ "Sam Snead's son keeps his father's memory alive by telling stories". PGA of America. January 31, 2016.
- ^ "Wins and Finishes". PGA Tour Media Guide. January 20, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ Livsey, Laury (April 16, 2019). "How we got to 82". PGA Tour. Retrieved July 27, 2022.
- ^ Apfelbaum, Jim, ed. (2007). The Gigantic Book of Golf Quotations. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60239-014-0. LCCN 2007005352.
- ^ Kelley, Brent, ed. (May 24, 2019). "Sam Snead Quotes". Retrieved July 8, 2019.