Sam Snead facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sam Snead |
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Snead in 1967
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Samuel Jackson Snead |
| Nickname | Slammin' Sammy |
| Born | May 27, 1912 Ashwood, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | May 23, 2002 (aged 89) Hot Springs, Virginia, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in |
| Weight | 185 lb |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Spouse | Audrey Karnes Snead (m. 1940–90, her death) |
| Children | Sam Jr., Terrence |
| Career | |
| Turned professional | 1931 |
| Retired | 1987 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Champions Tour |
| Professional wins | 165 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 82 (1st all time) |
| LPGA Tour | 1 |
| Other | 69 (regular) 14 (senior) |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 7) |
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| The Masters Tournament | Won: 1949, 1952, 1954 |
| U.S. Open | 2nd/T2: 1937, 1947, 1949, 1953 |
| The Open Championship | Won: 1946 |
| PGA Championship | Won: 1942, 1949, 1951 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| World Golf Hall of Fame | 1974 |
| PGA Tour leading money winner |
1938, 1949, 1950 |
| PGA Player of the Year | 1949 |
| Vardon Trophy | 1938, 1949, 1950, 1955 |
| PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award |
1998 |
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Sam Snead
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| Allegiance | United States |
| Service/ |
 U.S. Navy |
| Years of service | 1942–1944 |
| Unit | San Diego |
Samuel Jackson Snead (born May 27, 1912 – died May 23, 2002) was an American professional golfer. He was one of the best players in the world for nearly 40 years. Many people consider him one of the greatest golfers ever.
Snead won a record 82 PGA Tour events. This includes seven major championships. He was known as "Slammin' Sammy" because of his powerful swing. Many golfers tried to copy his "perfect swing." Snead was also famous for his friendly, country image. He often wore a straw hat. He gave advice like, "Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey, and never concede a putt." He was added to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. He also received the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998.
Contents
Sam Snead's Early Life
Snead was born in Ashwood, Virginia. This is close to Hot Springs, Virginia. He started working as a caddie at age seven. A caddie carries golf clubs for players. He worked at The Homestead in Hot Springs.
At 19, he became an assistant golf professional there. He became a full professional golfer in 1934. Snead joined the PGA Tour in 1936. He quickly found success. He won the West Virginia Closed Pro tournament that year. In 1936, he won two matches at the Meadow Brook Club. This earned him $10,000. This money helped him play golf professionally full-time.
Military Service During World War II
Snead served in the U.S. Navy during World War II. He was in the Navy from 1942 to 1944. He worked as an athletic specialist. He was in Cmdr. Gene Tunney's program in San Diego. He left the Navy in September 1944. This was due to a back injury.
Family and Later Life
In 1944, Snead became the head professional at The Greenbrier Resort. This resort is in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. He kept strong connections to Hot Springs and The Homestead throughout his life.
Snead appeared as himself on a TV show in 1957. It was an episode of The Phil Silvers Show. His nephew, J.C. Snead, also became a successful professional golfer. J.C. won tournaments on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.
Sam Snead's Golf Career Highlights
In 1936, Snead won his first tournament. It was the West Virginia Closed Pro. He won by a large amount. Later that summer, he won the first of his 17 West Virginia Open championships.
First Full Year on Tour
In 1937, Snead played his first full year on the Tour. He won five events. One of these was the Oakland Open in California.
Record Wins and Longevity
In 1938, Snead won the Greater Greensboro Open for the first time. He won this tournament eight times in total. This is a record for winning the same PGA Tour event. Tiger Woods later tied this record. Snead's last win at Greensboro was in 1965. He was 52 years old. This made him the oldest player to win a PGA Tour event.
Close Calls at the U.S. Open
The U.S. Open was the only major tournament Snead never won. He came very close several times. In 1939, he needed a par to win the U.S. Open. But he didn't know the scores. He ended up with a triple-bogey 8 on the final hole. This cost him the win. In 1947, he lost the U.S. Open in a playoff. He missed a short putt on the last playoff hole.
Amazing Performance in 1950
In 1950, Snead won 11 events. This was a huge number of wins for one year. His average score that year was 69.23. This was a record for 50 years. Tiger Woods broke it in 2000. Snead won the Vardon Trophy four times. This award is for the golfer with the lowest average score.
Playing into His Later Years
Snead continued to play well as he got older.
- In 1962, at age 49, he won the Royal Poinciana Plaza Invitational. He is the only man to ever win an official LPGA Tour event.
- In 1973, at age 61, he became the oldest player to make the cut in a U.S. Open.
- In 1974, at age 62, he finished tied for third at the 1974 PGA Championship. This was his last time competing for a major title.
- In 1978, he won the first Legends of Golf event. This event helped start the Senior PGA Tour, now called the Champions Tour.
- In 1979, at age 67, he shot his age in a PGA Tour round. He even shot under his age (66) in the final round.
- In 1983, at age 71, he shot an amazing round of 60. This was 12 strokes under par.
- From 1984 to 2002, he hit the honorary first tee shot at The Masters. This is a special tradition.
Ryder Cup and Other Achievements
Snead played on seven Ryder Cup teams for the United States. He was also the team captain three times. In 1971, he won the PGA Club Professional Championship. He was added to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1973. In 2009, he was added to the West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame.
Sam Snead's Legacy
Snead wrote several books about golf. He also wrote articles for golf magazines. His 1962 autobiography was called The Education of a Golfer.
In 2000, Golf Digest magazine ranked Snead as the third greatest golfer of all time. Only Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan were ranked higher. Snead held the record for most PGA Tour wins after turning 40. He had 17 wins after that age. Vijay Singh broke this record in 2007.
Death
Sam Snead passed away in Hot Springs, Virginia, in 2002. He died from health problems, just four days before his 90th birthday. He was survived by his two sons, Sam Jr. and Terry. He also had a brother, Pete, and two grandchildren. His wife, Audrey, had passed away in 1990.
Images for kids
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Snead's grave at his house in Hot Springs
See also
In Spanish: Sam Snead para niños
