Sam Snead

Sam Snead, born Samuel Jackson Snead on May 27, 1912, in Ashwood, Virginia, near Hot Springs, was a dominant force in professional golf for nearly four decades. He is remembered as one of the sport’s all-time greats, collecting a record 94 gold medallions for wins on the PGA of America Tour, later credited with 82 PGA Tour victories—a mark tied with Tiger Woods. Among those wins were seven major championships, though the U.S. Open eluded him; he finished as runner-up four times. The World Golf Hall of Fame inducted him in 1974.

Nicknamed “The Slammer,” “Slammin’ Sammy Snead,” and “The Long Ball Hitter from West Virginia,” Snead was famous for his folksy image—often seen in a straw hat—and his “perfect swing,” which many imitators tried to copy. He offered advice like “Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey, and never concede a putt,” and observed, “There are no short hitters on the tour anymore, just long and unbelievably long.” Fellow West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame inductee Bill Campbell called him “the best natural player ever,” with “the eye of an eagle, the grace of a leopard, and the strength of a lion.” Gary Player declared his swing the greatest of any human, and Jack Nicklaus described it as “so perfect … and the most fluid motion in the game of golf.”

Snead started caddying at age seven at The Homestead’s Old Course in Hot Springs. He became an assistant pro there at 17 in 1929, moved to the Cascades Course, and turned professional in 1934. During the Depression, he taught himself golf using clubs carved from tree limbs. He joined the PGA Tour in 1936, winning the West Virginia Closed Pro tournament that July at The Greenbrier, shooting 70–61 to beat Clem Wiechman by 16 strokes. The next month, he won the first of 17 West Virginia Open titles, defeating Art Clark by five strokes at Guyan Country Club in Huntington. A $10,000 prize from two matches at the Meadow Brook Club in 1936 funded his full-time professional career.

In 1937, his first full Tour year, Snead won six events, including the Oakland Open and his second West Virginia Open. He debuted at the U.S. Open that year, finishing runner-up to Ralph Guldahl (who used 19 clubs). Snead shared the first-round lead with Denny Shute. His first Open Championship appearance ended in a tie for 11th. In 1938, he won the Greater Greensboro Open for the first of eight times—a Tour record for victories in a single event—and his last win there came in 1965, making him the oldest PGA Tour winner. He also published his first book, Sam Snead’s Quick Way to Better Golf.

Snead won three times in 1939, but the U.S. Open continued to frustrate him. Needing a par to win at Philadelphia Country Club, he was told by a spectator he needed a birdie, so he took a risky shot from a difficult lie and made a triple-bogey 8 on the final hole, finishing fifth, two shots behind a three-man playoff. He served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1944 as an athletic specialist in Commander Gene Tunney’s program in San Diego, receiving a medical discharge for a back injury in September 1944. World War II cost him 14 major championships due to cancellations.

In 1946, Snead won six times, including the Open Championship at St Andrews, though his expenses exceeded his prize money by more than three times. He tied for sixth in the Open in 1962. The 1947 U.S. Open saw him miss a 30-inch putt on the final playoff hole, finishing runner-up to Lew Worsham. He won three times in 1948, including his first Texas Open and fourth West Virginia Open. In 1949, he continued his success.

Snead became the resident playing professional at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, in 1944, maintaining ties to Hot Springs and The Homestead for life. From 1956 to 1969, he spent winters as a resident pro at the Boca Raton Resort, returning each spring for The Masters on his way back to The Greenbrier. He appeared as himself on The Phil Silvers Show in 1957. His nephew, J. C. Snead, also became a successful professional golfer. Snead died on May 23, 2002, just before his 90th birthday.