Masters of the Game: Sam Snead

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This week's PGA TOUR event, The Greenbrier Classic, offers a chance to recall the legendary career of Sam Snead, who served as Golf Pro Emeritus at The Greenbrier from 1948 until his death in May 2002. More than any other individual, Snead established The Greenbrier's reputation as one of the foremost golf resorts in the world. Here's a look at Snead's career.
MORE MASTERS OF THE GAME: Nicklaus | Palmer | Player | Hogan

By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

Without doubt, Sam Snead was the most naturally gifted athlete among golfers of his generation. He could run the 100-yard dash in 10 seconds flat in high school and well into his 70s he could kick the top of a 7-foot door from a standstill. Small wonder, then, that this hillbilly known as "The Slammer" from the mountains of Virginia was able to win a record 82 PGA TOUR events in a career that spanned four decades.

"I was always a great fan of Sam Snead's golf swing," said Tom Watson, who followed Snead as Golf Pro Emeritus at The Greenbrier in 2005. "He could play until he was 78 years old. I mean flat play. He could get it out there, and he could play. But he's an anomaly."

Snead grew up on a cow and chicken farm outside Hot Springs, Va., and became enamored of the game as he watched his brother, Homer, hit balls across their fields. He began caddying at The Homestead and moved to the nearby Greenbrier in 1935 as its playing professional. Although Snead won more than 140 times worldwide, he never strayed far from his Virginia roots. Known for his trademark straw hat, he once played nine holes at the 1942 Masters barefoot as he tried to regain that smooth swing and steady rhythm that was the benchmark of his game.

Snead won seven major championships, including three Masters, three PGA Championships and one British Open. He was runner-up in four U.S. Opens -- including in 1947 when he missed a 30-inch putt on the final hole of a playoff with Lew Worsham -- but could never win his own national championship.

Snead played on seven Ryder Cup teams, led the PGA TOUR money list three times and was a four-time winner of the Vardon Trophy. His finest season was in 1950 when he won 11 times. Perhaps Snead's greatest legacy, though, was his longevity. He finished among the top four at two PGA Championships when he was in his 60s, and he shot his age of 67 in the second round of the 1979 Quad Cities Open.

But Snead is most identified with the Greater Greensboro Open which he won eight times in four different decades. So beloved was Snead in Greensboro that fans were known to kick his ball back out of the rough. His final win there came in 1965 when he was 52 years, 10 months and eight days old -- and he remains the oldest winner on the PGA TOUR. His 27-year span between his first and last wins in Greensboro is also a TOUR mark. The tournament trophy is now named in his honor.

By Craig Dolch, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

1954 Masters
Snead's third green jacket was his most memorable, and for obvious reasons: He beat Ben Hogan in a playoff (70-71). "I can remember that Masters," Snead said 40 years later. "I can put the flags in every green. I can tell you what Hogan had on each hole, how many putts he had on each hole, how many greens he hit."

1949 Masters
Snead closed with rounds of 67-67 -- among Masters winners, only Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player shot lower scores over the last 36 holes -- to win by three shots and claim the first green jacket handed out by Augusta National.

1946 British Open
Snead didn't play in his first Open championship until he was 34, and only then because of contractual ties to a sponsor. He went through four caddies that week at St. Andrews, but won his only Claret Jug by four shots over Bobby Locke and Johnny Bulla.

1965 Greater Greensboro Open
Snead became the oldest winner -- and still is -- on the PGA TOUR when he cruised to a five-shot victory here for a record eighth title in this event. Snead -- who was 52 years, 10 months and 8 days -- won for the 82ndand final time on the PGA TOUR.

1978 Legends of Golf
Although he teamed with Gardner Dickinson to win this made-for-TV match against Julius Boros-Roberto de Vicenzo, the play was so stellar this performance helped launch the Champions Tour.

By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

1. His nickname on tour was Nudie. It referred to his seriously receding hairline.

2. His first job as a pro at Cascades paid whatever lessons he taught, plus a sandwich and glass of milk for lunch.

3. In 1942, he went through his WWII draft physical, but put off induction until the following Monday so he could play in the PGA Championship, which he won, 2 and 1, over Jim Turnesa.

Snead won a career-high 11 times in 1950. Granted, that's seven shy of Byron Nelson's record 18 wins in 1945 but no one has won more in a season since Snead's signature year. The closest anyone has come is nine -- by Tiger Woods in 2000 and Vijay Singh in 2004.

MASTERS (3) U.S. OPEN (0) BRITISH OPEN (1) PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (3) 1949   1946 1942 1952     1949 1954     1951

Year Number of events Number of rounds 1st 2nd 3rd Top 10 Top 25 Cuts made Cuts missed Total 549 1,586 82 57 49 330 440 526 18 1983 2 2               1982 4 7             3 1981 4 6             2 1980 3 5             2 1979 4 16           4   1978 1 4           1   1977 2 6           1 1 1976 5 18           4 1 1975 6 22       1 2 5 1 1974 11 44   1 1 3 7 11   1973 13 56       3 7 13   1972 11 39       3 7 11   1971 12 36       2 4 10 1 1970 13 40         5 9 5 1969 12 44       1 4 12   1968 8 30   1   4 4 7 1 1967 6 24 1     2 3 6   1966 7 28       2 4 7   1965 12 48 1     5 11 12   1964 6 24     1 2 4 6   1963 11 45   1 2 6 6 11   1962 10 41     1 2 6 10   1961 12 48 1 2   7 11 12   1960 11 44 2 1 1 7 11 11   1959 7 28     1 4 6 7   1958 10 40 1 2 1 8 9 10   1957 10 36 2 3 1 9 10 10   1956 9 31 1     5 7 9   1955 17 63 4 1 5 10 16 17   1954 6 20 2   1 3 6 6   1953 15 56 1 4 1 8 12 15   1952 13 46 5 4 1 10 11 13   1951 13 48 2 2 3 10 12 13   1950 25 96 11 5 2 22 25 25   1949 19 72 6 4 2 17 19 19   1948 14 52 1     8 13 14   1947 14 8   2   7 13 14   1946 28 12 6 4 5 20 27 28   1945 28 16 6 1 2 22 23 24   1944 4   2   1 4 4 4   1942 13 21 2 3 2 11 13 13   1941 24 53 6 1 2 22 23 24   1940 19 39 3 4 2 16 19 19   1939 16 37 3 2 3 15 16 16   1938 27 70 8 6 3 22 24 27   1937 25 56 5 3 4 20 24 25   1936 5 7 1     4 5 5   1935 2 2     1 1 2 2