Sam Snead was an American professional golfer with an incredible portfolio of wins on the PGA Tour throughout his career. During his prime, he was one of the top players for over four decades and was active in the sport for most of his life. His unbelievable feat in the sport should not go unnoticed for he had created a standard in golf that most have struggled to keep up with. Thus, in this article, we will be delving into the life of the legend, Sam Snead and why he is the best.
Sam Snead Early Life
Samuel Jackson Snead was born on May 27, 1912, in Ashwood, Virginia. He was raised on a humble farm near the small town of Ashwood where he would pick up an interesting tradition for all rural boys which was squirrel hunting. However, young Sam had always had a fascination with sports which benefited him in school where he became an athlete on the football team and track team. One of the first hints of Snead having an innate interest in golf was when he would hit stones with a crooked stick that he collected.
This, in a way, was his first introduction to the sport of golf which quickly caught on to him. Thus, as soon as his passion for golf started blooming, he decided to give the sport a shot. Later, he was picked as a caddy at a Hot Springs golf Course near his home when he was 15 years old. This was his way of primarily making some money at first but eventually led to him falling in love with golf.
Sam Snead Professional Career
After going from working as a caddy to an assistant pro at 'The Homsestead', Snead soon turned professional at the age of 19 in 1934. Two years later in 1936, he earned a total of $10,000 in prize money after winning two golf bouts. This incredible achievement meant that he could focus on the sport full time. Then, a year later, Snead won a total of five PGA Tour events during his first full year on the Tour. This impressive achievement came in tandem with his devotion to the US Pro Tennis Championship which was wildly impressive.
In 1942, Snead was involved in the US Navy during the events of World War II where he served as an athletic specialist in San Diego. However, he suffered a back injury during his service and was given a medical discharge. Two years later, he would venture back into golf during which he won six times including the Open Championship at St Andrew's. In 1948, Snead won three times on the PGA Tour including his very first Texas Open win.
Sam Snead - His Greatest Year of All Time
A year later in 1949, Sam Snead would go on to win nine PGA Tour events including the Masters and the PGA Championship. This impressive achievement awarded him Golfer of the Year but surprisingly this was not his best year as the year after this would prove to be his greatest of all. In 1950, Snead won a total of 11 Tour events which meant he was placed third behind Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan. Snead, himself had said that 1950 was his greatest year of all time.
Snead would go on to win several more events in the years to come. Then in 1959, he was almost disqualified from a match against Mason Rudolph at the Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda for having an extra club in his bag which he did not even use during the match. After explaining the matter, it was decided that he would not be disqualified in order to not spoil the show. However, after the issue went public, Snead was no longer able to participate in future.
This small mishap did not stop Snead from winning more events in the years ahead. In 1965, he had become the oldest player to win the PGA Tour at 52 years old. Apart from the PGA Tour, Snead also played a big part on the Ryder Cup teams which he participated seven times and captained three of them. Even in his 60s Snead was still active in the sport and managed to make the cut in the U.S Open, becoming the oldest player to do so.
Sam Snead Career Highlights
| Date | Tournament |
|---|---|
| 1936 | West Virginia Closed Pro |
| 1937 | Oakland Open, Bing Crosby Pro-Am, St. Paul Open, Nassau Open, Miami Open |
| 1938 | Bing Crosby Pro-Am, Greater Greensboro Open, Inverness Invitational Four-Ball, Palm Beach Round Robin, Chicago Open, Canadian Open, Westchester 108 Hole Open, White Sulphur Springs Open |
| 1939 | St. Petersberg Open, Miami Biltmore International Four-Ball, Miami Open |
| 1940 | Inverness Invitational Four-Ball, Canadian Open, Anthracite Open |
| 1941 | Bing Crosby Pro-Am, St. Petersburg Open, Canadian Open, Rochester Times-Union Open, Henry Hurst Invitational |
| 1942 | St. Petersburg Open, PGA Championship, |
| 1944 | Portland Open, Richmond Open |
| 1945 | Los Angeles Open, Gulfport Open, Pensacola Open, Jacksonville Open, Dallas Open, Southwestern Invitational |
| 1946 | Jacksonville Open, Greater Greensboro Open, Virginia Open, The Open Championship, World Championship Golf, Miami Open |
| 1948 | Texas Open |
| 1949 | Greater Greensboro Open, Masters Tournament, PGA Championship, Washington Star Open, Dapper Dan Open, Western Open |
| 1950 | Bing Crosby Pro-Am, Los Angeles Open, Texas Open, Miami Beach Open, Greater Greensboro Open, Western Open, Colonial National invitational, Inverness invitational Four-Ball, Reading Open, North and South Open, Miami Open |
| 1951 | PGA Championship, Miami Open |
| 1952 | Masters Tournament, Palm Beach Round Robin, Inverness Invitational Four-Ball, All American Open, Eastern Open |
| 1953 | Baton Rouge Open |
| 1954 | Masters Tournament, Palm Beach Round Robin |
| 1955 | Greater Greensboro Open, Palm Beach Round Robin, Insurance City Open, Miami Open |
| 1956 | Greater Greensboro Open |
| 1957 | Palm Beach Round Robin, Dallas Open Invitational |
| 1958 | Dallas Open Invitational |
| 1960 | De Soto Open Invitational, Greater Greensboro Open |
| 1961 | Tournament of Champions |
| 1965 | Greater Greensboro Open |
Sam Snead Net Worth
Before his death, Sam Snead's total net worth was around $1.5 million. He was by far one of the most influential and successful golfers of all time. To this day, golfers are analysing and studying Sam Snead's swing technique in order to better their game. Sam Snead will forever be remembered as a legend of the sport of golf.
In the year 2000, Snead was officially ranked as the third best golfer of all time by Golf Digest magazine following behind Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan. Throughout his career, Sam Snead nicknamed himself "The Slammer" and was admired for having a perfect swing which would be imitated by many.
The Loss of a Legend
Sam Snead passed away on May 23, 2002, at the age of 89. Sam Snead's cause of death was complications from a stroke. He left behind two sons, Sam Jr. and Terry and a brother, Pete as well as two grandchildren. His wife, Aubrey passed away in 1990. Sam Snead was buried at his house in Hot Springs.
Summary of Sam Snead
This is the story of Sam Snead and how he came to be one of the best golfers of all time. Let his achievements be proof of how nothing is impossible when passion and hard work comes into play. If you enjoyed this article, then you will for sure enjoy our article on Scottie Scheffler.
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