The life and career of golfing legend Sam Snead
Sam Snead (1912-2002) is considered one of the greatest golf players to have ever graced the green.
Snead jointly holds the record of most PGA tour wins with Tiger Woods, before Woods caught up to Snead he had held this record for nearly 30 years.
Just like when Tiger Woods started playing when Snead began, the golfing authorities had to change the rules surrounding how players swang – as Snead was so dominant. And just like Woods, Snead took this change into his stride and carried on winning.
When Snead was inducted into the Hall of Fame, one of his competitors said, “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.”
The Early Years
Snead first started playing golf at the age of 7. He worked as a caddy for amateurs from that age until he turned 17. He then started working as a caddy for a professional player until he was 22.
In 1934, Snead turned professional, but it wasn’t until 1936 that he joined the PGA tour. He won the first tournament he entered – the 1936 West Virginia Closed Pro tournament. During 1937, his first full year on the tour, Snead won 6 tournaments, including the West Virginia Closed Pro tournament for the second time.
That year he came second in the U.S Open. The U.S open became the only major that he never won. Fanduel’s golf odds on the next U.S Open winners can be found here.
Later that year Snead entered and won two matches at the Meadow Brook Club. Between these two matches, Snead won $10,000 – this was enough money to allow him to start playing golf full time.
Snead won 3 events in 1938 and 4 events in 1939.
Snead played as the Professional in Residence at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia until 1944. During this time, Snead served in the US Navy for 2 years during World War two – before being honorably discharged due to injury.
Snead returned to his life as a civilian and continued to play golf. In 1946, Snead won 6 events, including an event at the legendary Scottish Club St Andrews.
In 1948 we went on to win the West Virginia Open for the fourth time and the Texas Open for the first time. He won 9 PGA events and 3 non-PGA events in 1949. In 1949 he was named the PGA Golfer of the Year.
Breaking the PGA victory record
Snead himself claims that 1950 was the best year of his career. That year he won 11 PGA events. 1952 was also a good year for Snead. He clocked up 10 PGA victories, including the Masters. Snead went on to win 1 or two events every year, on and off for the next 20 years. Snead ended up winning at least one PGA tournament a decade for 6 decades in a row – no one else has done this.
Snead ended his career with a record-breaking 82 PGA tour wins and 142 professional wins.
Snead played for the USA Ryder cup team in 1937, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, and 1959 – in his final three tournaments, he was captain of Team USA.
At age 67, Snead became the youngest player to ever shoot their age at a major tournament, in the next round he shot for 66. He went on to shoot for 60 at age 71 and for 78 at age 85.
Snead was inducted into the Golfing Hall of Fame in 1998. Snead was also awarded the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.
At age 61, Snead made the cut for the U.S Open, he was the oldest man ever to do this. From 1984 to 2002, he hit the honorary starting tee shot at the Masters Tournament – Snead always maintained that was a huge honor for him. Snead passed away in 2002.
Life after golf
Snead was featured multiple times in the Peanuts comic strips as the writer was a huge golfing fan. Snead also appeared in multiple TV shows and movies – sometimes as himself, but most of the time he played a character related to golf.
Over his career, Snead released an autobiography and several “How to Golf” style books.
Snead always kept a home in West Virginia and played as the Professional in Residence at multiple West Virginia hotels during the off-season.
In 2002, Snead died at home in West Virginia with his two sons.