Sam Snead(1912-2002)
- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
Sam Snead was known for the length of his career, his agility, and his smooth, self-taught swing. He turned professional in 1933, and his first victory came at the 1937 Oakland Open. He won the British Open and the Canadian Open, as well as the Masters Tournament, the PGA Championship, and the Vardon Trophy for the best average number of strokes in PGA tournaments. He played for the United States Ryder Cup squad eight times and was a member of the winning World Cup teams, capturing the individual title in 1961. He won the PGA Seniors, World Seniors Championship, and Legends of Golf tournaments in 1978.
Snead, known around the world for his straw hat and folksy humor, reportedly never took a golf lesson and occasionally used unconventional putting techniques to compensate for twitch issues. He won more PGA events than any other champion, and conservative estimates put his world tournament wins at 135. In his several appearances in the Greater Greensboro Open, he set two records: he won it more times than any other golfer has ever won a single tournament, and his triumph in 1965, at age 52, made him the oldest player to win a PGA event. He continued to be a threat into his sixties, finishing second in the 1974 Los Angeles Open.
Snead, known around the world for his straw hat and folksy humor, reportedly never took a golf lesson and occasionally used unconventional putting techniques to compensate for twitch issues. He won more PGA events than any other champion, and conservative estimates put his world tournament wins at 135. In his several appearances in the Greater Greensboro Open, he set two records: he won it more times than any other golfer has ever won a single tournament, and his triumph in 1965, at age 52, made him the oldest player to win a PGA event. He continued to be a threat into his sixties, finishing second in the 1974 Los Angeles Open.
