Sam Snead
Snead in 1984
Personal information
Full name	Samuel Jackson Snead
Nickname	The Slammer Slammin' Sammy
Born	(1912-05-27)May 27, 1912 Ashwood, Virginia, U.S.
Died	May 23, 2002(2002-05-23) (aged 89) Hot Springs, Virginia, U.S.
Height	5 ft 11 in (180 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Sporting nationality	United States
Spouse	Audrey Karnes ​ ​ (m. 1940; died 1990)​
Children	2
Career
Turned professional	1934
Former tours	PGA Tour Champions Tour
Professional wins	143
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour	82 (tied 1st all time)
LPGA Tour	1
Other	46 (regular) 14 (senior)
Best results in major championships (wins: 7)
Masters Tournament	Won:1949,1952,1954
PGA Championship	Won:1942,1949,1951
U.S. Open	2nd/T2:1937,1947,1949,1953
The Open Championship	Won:1946
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 1974(member page) PGA Tour leading money winner 1938, 1949, 1950 PGA Golfer of the Year 1949 Vardon Trophy 1938, 1949, 1950, 1955 PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award 1998

Samuel Jackson Snead (/sniːd/; May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an Americanprofessional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for the better part of four decades (having wonPGA of America andSenior PGA Tour events over six decades)^[1] and widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Snead was awarded a record 94 gold medallions, for wins in PGA of America (referred to by most as the PGA) Tour^[2][3] events^[4] and later credited with winning a record82PGA Tour events^[5][6] tied withTiger Woods, including sevenmajors. He never won theU.S. Open, though he was runner-up four times. Snead was inducted into theWorld Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.

Snead's nicknames included "The Slammer", "Slammin' Sammy Snead", and "The Long Ball Hitter fromWest Virginia", and he was admired by many for having a "perfect swing", which generated many imitators. Snead was famed for his folksy image, wearing a straw hat, and making such statements as "Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey, and never concede a putt."^[7] and "There are no short hitters on the tour anymore, just long and unbelievably long."^[8] Fellow West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame InducteeBill Campbell has said of Snead, "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."Gary Player once said, "I don't think there's any question in my mind that Sam Snead had the greatest golf swing of any human being that ever lived."Jack Nicklaus said that Snead's swing was "so perfect... and the most fluid motion in the game of golf".^[9]

Born inAshwood, Virginia, nearHot Springs, Snead began caddying at age seven atThe Homestead's Old Course in Hot Springs. He worked as an assistant pro at The Homestead at 17 in 1929, then moved to the Cascades Course and turned professional in 1934.^[2] During the depression, Snead taught himself the game of golf from a set of clubs carved from tree limbs. Snead joined the PGA Tour in 1936 and achieved immediate success by winning the West Virginia Closed Pro tournament.

In 1936 he won two matches at theMeadow Brook Club, earning a $10,000 prize. This gave him the money he needed to start playing professionally full-time.^[10] In 1944 he became resident playing professional atThe Greenbrier Resort inWhite Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, and maintained ties to Hot Springs and The Homestead all of his life. During the winter, he was a resident playing pro at theBoca Raton Resort from 1956 to 1969.^[11] Each spring he returned to the Mid-Atlantic, stopping at TheMasters Tournament on his way back to The Greenbrier.

Snead served in theU.S. Navy duringWorld War II from 1942 to 1944.^[12] He was an athletic specialist in Cmdr.Gene Tunney's program inSan Diego, and was given a medicaldischarge for a back injury in September 1944.^[13]

Snead appeared as himself in an episode ofThe Phil Silvers Show, "The Colonel Breaks Par", in 1957.^[14]

His nephew,J. C. Snead, was also a successful professional golfer, winning tournaments on both thePGA Tour and theChampions Tour.^[15]

In July 1936, Snead won his first tournament, the West Virginia Closed Pro, contested atThe Greenbrier's Championship Course and Old White Course. He shot rounds of 70–61 to routLogan, West Virginia professional, Clem Wiechman by 16 strokes (74-73).^[16][17] The following month, he won the first of 17West Virginia Open championships by beating Art Clark by five strokes at Guyan Country Club inHuntington, West Virginia.^[18]

In 1937, Snead's first full year on the PGA Tour,^[2] he won six events, including theOakland Open at Claremont Country Club in California and his second West Virginia Open. In Snead's debut in theU.S. Open hosted atOakland Hills, he finished runner-up toRalph Guldahl (who won with 19 clubs in his bag).^[19] Snead shared the first round lead shooting 69 with fellow West VirginianDenny Shute (1936 and1937 PGA Champion). In Snead's first of two attempts inThe Open Championship, he finished tied for 11th.^[20]

In 1938, Snead first won theGreater Greensboro Open, the first of eight times, the Tour record for victories in a single tournament event. Snead's last win at Greensboro was in 1965, at the age of 52 years, 311 days, making him the oldest player to win a PGA Tour event.^[21] Snead introduced his first book,Sam Snead's quick way to better golf.^[22]

In 1939, Snead won three times. 1939 was the first of four times (although Snead had already come close in 1937, losing to the eventual champion who had 19 clubs in his bag) where Snead failed at crucial moments of theU.S. Open, the only major event he never won. Needing a par to win at the Philadelphia C.C., but not knowing that, since on-course scoreboards did not exist at that time, Snead posted a triple-bogey 8 on the par-5 72nd hole, taking a risky shot from a difficult lie in the fairway. Snead had been told on the 18th tee by a spectator that he needed a birdie to win.^[12] Snead ended up in fifth place, two shots behind three players who went into a playoff.

DuringWorld War II, Snead was prevented from participating in 14 major championships (1940–1945 Open Championship, 1942–1945 U.S. Open, 1943–1945 Masters, 1943 PGA Championship), due to their cancellations. Snead served in the U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1944.

In 1946, Snead won six times including theOpen Championship atSt Andrews. His expenses for playing there were more than three times his winning purse.^[23][24] Snead tied for sixth in the Open in 1962. Snead introduced the book,Sam Snead's How to play golf, and professional tips on improving your score. Also, rules of the game of golf, as approved by the United States Golf Association, and by the Royal and ancient golf club of St. Andrews.^[25]

At the U.S. Open in1947, Snead missed a 30-inch (76 cm) putt on the final playoff hole to finish runner-up toLew Worsham.^[26]

Snead won three times in 1948, including his firstTexas Open and fourthWest Virginia Open.

In 1949, Snead won nine PGA events including two majors including the Masters^[27] and the PGA Championship^[28] and was awarded Golfer of the Year. For Snead, it was the third of four second-place finishes at theU.S. Open. Needing two pars to finish in a tie for the lead, Snead took three shots to hole out his ball from the fringe of the green on the 17th hole.^[29][30]

In 1950, Snead won 11 events, placing him third in that category behindByron Nelson (18, in 1945) andBen Hogan (13, in 1946).^[31] Snead claimed that 1950 was his "greatest year" winning "eleven tournaments" including a playoff victory over Hogan in the L.A. Open yet lost the "Golfer of the Year" to Hogan, who won one "tournament".^[1] His scoring average of 69.23 was a Vardon Trophy record that stood for 50 years.^[32]

In 1952, Snead won ten events including theMasters.^[33] At theJacksonville Open, Snead forfeited rather than play an 18-hole playoff againstDoug Ford after the two golfers finished in a tie at the end of regulation play. The forfeit stemmed from a ruling Snead received during the tournament's second round of play. On the 10th hole, Snead's drive landed behind an out-of-bounds stake. WhileChick Harbert, who was playing with Snead, thought the ball was out of bounds,^[34] a rules official ruled differently due to the starter not telling players the stakes had been moved after the previous day's play had ended. Afterward, Snead explained why he forfeited even though Ford suggested they play sudden death for the title. "I want to be fair about it. I don't want anyone to think I took advantage of the ruling."^[35] Snead set the record for most PGA wins after reaching age 40, with 17.

In 1953, Snead won three events. He finished runner-up to Ben Hogan at theU.S. Open (the fourth time he would finish runner-up at the U.S. Open).^[36]

In 1954, Snead won two events, one of which was theMasters in an 18-hole playoff over Ben Hogan.^[37][38][39]

In December 1959, Snead took part in a controversial match againstMason Rudolph, at theMid Ocean Club inBermuda. The match played under theNBC's "World Championship Golf" series, was a match-play event that was tied after 11 holes. On the 12th hole, Snead discovered that he had a 15th club in the bag, a violation of theRules of Golf that limits a player to 14 clubs. The extra club in his bag, afairway wood Snead had been experimenting with in practice, meant Rudolph had won on the 12th hole immediately, 11 and 7, after applying the penalty of a loss of hole for each hole the club was in the bag, even though he did not use it during the round. With the match legally concluded, Snead deliberately missed puts later in the program to create the legitimate result, a Rudolph win. Snead explained the match had ended up on the 11 loss of hole penalties, and said he did not disqualify himself in order not to spoil the show. This occurred shortly after the investigations into thequiz show scandals where players were given answers to questions in fixed matches. The match was broadcast in April 1960, and the sponsor canceled further participation in the series after Snead's admission he recreated the result after the match officially ended as a Rudolph win.^[40] The rule was changed for the 1964 Rules of Golf, where the penalty is capped at two holes (match play) or two strokes per hole capped at four strokes (stroke play).^[41]

Beginning in 1960, Snead hosted television'sCelebrity Golf program, emceed byHarry von Zell, competing for charity in nine-hole contests against Hollywood celebrities likeDean Martin,Jerry Lewis andBob Hope. Snead had appeared withMartin and Lewis in their 1953 comedy film,The Caddy.

On February 7, 1962, at age 49, Snead won theRoyal Poinciana Plaza Invitational, anLPGA Tour "Battle of the Sexes" tournament where he faced off against 14 LPGA pros. The low woman wasMickey Wright, herself Snead's equivalent in women's golf, with the most wins on that tour.^[42]

His 1962 autobiography was titledThe Education of a Golfer.^[43] Snead later wrote several golf instructional books, and frequently wrote instructional columns in golf magazines.

In 1965, Snead became the oldest player (52 years, 10 months, and 8 days) to win on the PGA Tour (the Greater Greensboro Open).

Snead played on sevenRyder Cup teams: 1937, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, and 1959. Snead was selected to the 1939 Ryder Cup team however the event was never played due to World War II.^[44] He captained the team in 1951, 1959, and 1969.

In 1971, he won thePGA Club Professional Championship atPinehurst Resort.

In1973, Snead became the oldest player to make a cut in a U.S. Open at age 61.

In 1974, at age 61, he shot a third-round 66 at theLos Angeles Open at Riviera Country Club to move into contention. A birdie at #17 in the last round moved him to within one stroke of the lead. Dave Stockton hit a miraculous fairway wood on the final hole. Snead was joint runner-up.

He shot a final-round 68 at the1974 PGA Championship to finish tied for third, three strokes behind winnerLee Trevino. At age 62, it was Snead's third consecutive top-10 finish at thePGA Championship, but his last time in contention at a major.

In 1978, he won the firstLegends of Golf event, which was the impetus for the creation,two years later, of the Senior PGA Tour, now theChampions Tour.

In1979, he was the youngest PGA Tour golfer to shoot his age (67) in the second round of the 1979Quad Cities Open. He shot under his age (66) in the final round.

In 1982, he teamed withDon January to shoot 27-under-par to win the rain-shortened 54-holeLiberty Mutual Legends of Golf event atOnion Creek Club "The Birthplace of the Senior PGA Tour" inAustin, Texas. This victory would mark victories for Snead that spanned over six decades (1930s–1980s) winning tour and senior tour events.

In 1983, at age 71, he shot a round of 60 (12-under-par) atThe Homestead inHot Springs, Virginia.

In 1986, Snead wrote the book,Pigeons, Marks, Hustlers and Other Golf Bettors You Can Beat.^[45]

In 1997, at age 85, he shot a round of 78 at the Old White course ofThe Greenbrier inWhite Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.

In 1998, he received thePGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award, the fourth person to be so honored.

From 1984 to 2002, he hit the honorary starting tee shot at theMasters Tournament. Until 1999, he was joined byGene Sarazen, and until 2001, byByron Nelson.

In 2000, Snead was ranked the third greatest golfer of all time, inGolf Digest magazine's rankings, behind onlyJack Nicklaus andBen Hogan.^[46]

Snead died inHot Springs, Virginia in 2002 following complications from a stroke, four days before his 90th birthday. He was survived by two sons: Sam Jr. of Hot Springs, and Terry, of Mountain Grove, Virginia, and a brother, Pete, of Pittsburgh, as well as two grandchildren. His wife Audrey died in 1990. His nephewJ. C. Snead was alsoa PGA Tour golfer.

Snead was mentioned several times in the comic stripPeanuts at the height of his popularity during the 1950s^[47] and 1960s.^[48] As its creator and avid golferCharles M. Schulz^[49] said in a 1971 interview: "I was a great admirer of Sam Snead. I once watched him play a round in the St. Paul tournament when he hit every green in regulation figures – and all the par fives in two – for a truly flawless round."^[50]

He played himself in the 1951 Ben Hogan semi-autobiographical movie starring Glenn Ford and Anne Baxter calledFollow the Sun.^[51]

There is a Sam Snead Street inSan Antonio, Texas.^[52]

There is also a Sam Snead Dr in on the east side ofEl Paso, Texas.

Snead was the PGA leading money winner in 1938, 1949 and 1950. He won theVardon Trophy, for lowest scoring average, four times: 1938, 1949, 1950, and 1955. In 1949, he was PGA Golfer of the Year.^[53][54]

Snead was inducted into theVirginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1973.^[55] In 1986, Snead was inducted into the Middle Atlantic PGA Hall of Fame.^[2] Snead was also inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame^[2][56] and theHelms Hall of Fame.^[57] Snead received thePGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. In 2009, Snead was inducted into the inaugural class of the West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame^[58][59][60] and in 2016, Snead was the unanimous top choice for inclusion in the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame's inaugural class.^[61]

During his peak years, Snead was an exceptionally long driver, particularly into the wind, with very good accuracy as well. He was a superb player with the long irons. Snead was also known for a very creative short game, pioneering the use of the sand wedge for short shots from grass. As he aged, he began to experiment with different putting styles. Snead pioneered croquet-style putting in the 1960s, where he straddled the ball with one leg on each side. TheUnited States Golf Association banned this technique in 1968 by amending the old Rule 35–1,^[62] since, until that time, golfers had always faced the ball when striking. Snead then went to side-saddle putting, where he crouched and angled his feet towards the hole, and held the club with a split grip. He used that style for the rest of his career.

Snead holds the following records:

• Most PGA Tour victories: 82 (tied withTiger Woods)
• Most PGA-sanctioned tour victories: 94
• Became the first player to win 17 times at an event: at theWest Virginia Open (1936–1938, 1948, 1949, 1952, 1957, 1958, 1960, 1961, 1966–1968, 1970–1973)
• First player to win an event in six different decades (1930s–1980s).
• Became the first player to win 8 times at an event: at theGreater Greensboro Open (1938, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1965)
• First player to be credited with winning a PGA Tour event in four different decades.
• Oldest player to be credited with winning a PGA Tour event: age 52 years, 10 months, 8 days at the 1965Greater Greensboro Open
• Oldest player to make the cut at a major: age 67 years, 2 months, 7 days at the 1979PGA Championship
• First PGA Tour player to shoot his age: 67 in the second round of the 1979Quad Cities Open
• Oldest player to make a cut on the PGA Tour: age 67 years, 2 months, 21 days at the 1979Manufacturers Hanover Westchester Classic.
• Only player to post a top-10 finish in at least one major championship in five different decades.
• Became the first player to win PGA and Senior PGA Tour events over six decades (1930s–1980s)

Sources:^[1][31]

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Jul 10, 1936	West Virginia Closed Pro	−9 (70-61=131)	16 strokes	Clem Wiechman
2	Jan 17, 1937	Oakland Open	−2 (69-65-69-67=270)	2 strokes	Ralph Guldahl
3	Feb 7, 1937	Bing Crosby Pro-Am	−4 (68)*	4 strokes	George Von Elm
4	Aug 1, 1937	St. Paul Open	−5 (72-69-71-71=283)	1 stroke	Willie Goggin
5	Dec 20, 1937	Nassau Open	−4 (66-70-70-70=276)	1 stroke	Vic Ghezzi
6	Dec 25, 1937	Miami Open	−13 (68-67-66-66=267)	5 strokes	Ralph Guldahl,Horton Smith
7	Jan 17, 1938	Bing Crosby Pro-Am (2)	−5 (72-67=139)	2 strokes	Jimmy Hines
8	Mar 28, 1938	Greater Greensboro Open	−11 (66-68-69-68=271)	5 strokes	Johnny Revolta
9	May 29, 1938	Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (withVic Ghezzi)	+9 points	1 point	Harry Cooper andHorton Smith, Ed Dudley andKy Laffoon
10	Jun 26, 1938	Palm Beach Round Robin	+14 points	Playoff	Gene Sarazen
11	Jul 24, 1938	Chicago Open	−3 (64-73-70=207)*	1 stroke	Ralph Guldahl
12	Aug 22, 1938	Canadian Open	−11 (69-67-69-72=277)	Playoff	Harry Cooper
13	Sep 27, 1938	Westchester 108 Hole Open	+10 (73-72-73-72-71-69=430)	2 strokes	Billy Burke
14	Nov 10, 1938	White Sulphur Springs Open	−7 (68-68-69-68=273)	2 strokes	Ky Laffoon
15	Mar 3, 1939	St. Petersburg Open	−9 (70-69-68=207)	Playoff	Henry Picard
16	Mar 8, 1939	Miami Biltmore International Four-Ball (withRalph Guldahl)	7 and 6		Paul Runyan andHorton Smith
17	Dec 17, 1939	Miami Open (2)	−12 (68-72-67-64=271)	2 strokes	Jug McSpaden
18	Jun 16, 1940	Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (2) (withRalph Guldahl)	+15 points	3 points	Jimmy Demaret andDick Metz
19	Aug 19, 1940	Canadian Open (2)	−3 (67-66-75-73=281)	Playoff	Jug McSpaden
20	Sep 8, 1940	Anthracite Open	−4 (65-73-68-70=276)	2 strokes	Byron Nelson
21	Jan 25, 1941	Bing Crosby Pro-Am (3)	−8 (67-69=136)	1 stroke	Craig Wood
22	Feb 28, 1941	St. Petersburg Open (2)	−5 (67-72-68-72=279)	2 strokes	Herman Barron,Chick Harbert, Ben Hogan,Jug McSpaden
23	Mar 20, 1941	North and South Open	−11 (69-66-73-69=277)	3 strokes	Clayton Heafner
24	Aug 9, 1941	Canadian Open (3)	−6 (71-68-66-69=274)	2 strokes	Bob Gray
25	Aug 17, 1941	Rochester Times-Union Open	−3 (67-70-73-67=277)	7 strokes	Ben Hogan
26	Sep 21, 1941	Henry Hurst Invitational	−8 (64-74-69-65=272)	9 strokes	Dick Metz
27	Mar 6, 1942	St. Petersburg Open (3)	−2 (70-74-73-72=286)	3 strokes	Sam Byrd,Chick Harbert, Byron Nelson
28	May 31, 1942	PGA Championship	2 and 1		Jim Turnesa
29	Nov 26, 1944	Portland Open	+1 (70-74-73-72=289)	2 strokes	Mike Turnesa
30	Dec 17, 1944	Richmond Open	−6 (70-69-69-70=278)	1 stroke	Charles Congdon
31	Jan 8, 1945	Los Angeles Open	−1 (71-71-72-69=283)	1 stroke	Jug McSpaden,Byron Nelson
32	Feb 19, 1945	Gulfport Open	−9 (65-71-70-69=275)	Playoff	Byron Nelson
33	Feb 25, 1945	Pensacola Open	−21 (67-64-68-68=267)	7 strokes	Byron Nelson
34	Mar 4, 1945	Jacksonville Open	−22 (69-65-66-66=266)	4 strokes	Bob Hamilton
35	Sep 9, 1945	Dallas Open	−12 (70-69-69-68=276)	4 strokes	Jug McSpaden
36	Sep 16, 1945	Southwestern Invitational	−7 (68-67-69-73=277)	9 strokes	Vic Ghezzi,Ben Hogan
37	Mar 17, 1946	Jacksonville Open (2)	−24 (64-66-67-67=264)	4 strokes	Jimmy Demaret
38	Mar 24, 1946	Greater Greensboro Open (2)	−10 (70-67-67-66=270)	6 strokes	Herman Keiser
39	Apr 21, 1946	Virginia Open	−1 (69-66-68-72=275)	Playoff	Chandler Harper
40	Jul 5, 1946	The Open Championship	−2 (71-70-74-75=290)	4 strokes	Johnny Bulla,Bobby Locke
41	Sep 8, 1946	World Championship of Golf	−6 (69-69=138)	2 strokes	Byron Nelson
42	Dec 8, 1946	Miami Open (3)	−12 (65-66-66-71=268)	3 strokes	Clayton Heafner
43	Feb 8, 1948	Texas Open	−20 (66-65-65-68=264)	2 strokes	Jimmy Demaret
44	Mar 28, 1949	Greater Greensboro Open (3)	−8 (68-69-69-70=276)	Playoff	Lloyd Mangrum
45	Apr 10, 1949	Masters Tournament	−6 (73-75-67-67=282)	3 strokes	Johnny Bulla,Lloyd Mangrum
46	May 31, 1949	PGA Championship (2)	3 and 2		Johnny Palmer
47	Jul 4, 1949	Washington Star Open	−16 (69-64-69-70=272)	2 strokes	Cary Middlecoff
48	Jul 18, 1949	Dapper Dan Open	−16 (67-67-69-71=272)	1 stroke	Lloyd Mangrum
49	Jul 31, 1949	Western Open	−20 (69-67-65-67=268)	4 strokes	Cary Middlecoff
50	Jan 15, 1950	Bing Crosby Pro-Am (4)	−2 (69-72-73=214)	Shared title withJack Burke Jr., Dave Douglas andSmiley Quick
51	Jan 18, 1950	Los Angeles Open (2)	−4 (71-72-71-66=280)	Playoff	Ben Hogan
52	Feb 12, 1950	Texas Open (2)	−19 (71-68-63-63=265)	1 stroke	Jimmy Demaret
53	Mar 12, 1950	Miami Beach Open	−15 (71-66-65-71=273)	3 strokes	Lawson Little
54	Mar 26, 1950	Greater Greensboro Open (4)	−11 (66-70-66-67=269)	10 strokes	Jimmy Demaret
55	May 21, 1950	Western Open (2)	−2 (69-71-69-73=282)	1 stroke	Jim Ferrier,Dutch Harrison
56	May 28, 1950	Colonial National Invitation	−3 (66-72-66-73=277)	3 strokes	Skip Alexander
57	Jul 16, 1950	Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (3) (withJim Ferrier)	+18 points	13 points	Fred Haas andFred Hawkins
58	Sep 10, 1950	Reading Open	−20 (68-65-65-70=268)	8 strokes	Jim Ferrier
59	Nov 3, 1950	North and South Open (2)	−13 (68-71-66-70=275)	4 strokes	Johnny Palmer
60	Dec 3, 1950	Miami Open (4)	−13 (69-66-66-66=267)	5 strokes	Jack Burke Jr.,Dick Mayer
61	Jul 3, 1951	PGA Championship (3)	7 and 6		Walter Burkemo
62	Dec 9, 1951	Miami Open (5)	−12 (64-68-68-68=268)	5 strokes	Chandler Harper,Dutch Harrison
63	Apr 6, 1952	Masters Tournament (2)	−2 (70-67-77-72=286)	4 strokes	Jack Burke Jr.
64	May 18, 1952	Palm Beach Round Robin (2)	+57 points	2 points	Cary Middlecoff
65	Jun 29, 1952	Inverness Invitational Four-Ball (4) (withJim Ferrier)	+13 points	12 points	Doug Ford andEd Oliver
66	Aug 3, 1952	All American Open	−17 (67-65-74-65=271)	8 strokes	Tommy Bolt
67	Sep 14, 1952	Eastern Open	−13 (71-67-68-69=275)	2 strokes	Ed Oliver
68	Mar 8, 1953	Baton Rouge Open	−13 (69-68-67-71=275)	3 strokes	Dick Mayer
69	Apr 12, 1954	Masters Tournament (3)	+1 (74-73-70-72=289)	Playoff	Ben Hogan
70	May 16, 1954	Palm Beach Round Robin (3)	+62 points	36 points	Bob Toski
71	Apr 17, 1955	Greater Greensboro Open (5)	−7 (68-67-69-69=273)	1 stroke	Julius Boros,Art Wall Jr.
72	Jun 5, 1955	Palm Beach Round Robin (4)	+46 points	24 points	Johnny Palmer
73	Sep 5, 1955	Insurance City Open	−15 (66-68-66-69=269)	7 strokes	Fred Hawkins,Mike Souchak
74	Dec 11, 1955	Miami Open (6)	−9 (70-67-64=201)*	Playoff	Tommy Bolt
75	Apr 15, 1956	Greater Greensboro Open (6)	−5 (66-69-74-70=279)	Playoff	Fred Wampler
76	Jun 2, 1957	Palm Beach Round Robin (5)	+41 points	8 points	Doug Ford
77	Sep 16, 1957	Dallas Open Invitational (2)	−20 (70-60-66-68=264)	10 strokes	Bob Inman,Billy Maxwell, Cary Middlecoff
78	Jun 8,1958	Dallas Open Invitational (3)	−8 (67-67-69-69=272)	Playoff	Julius Boros,John McMullin, Gary Player
79	Mar 27,1960	De Soto Open Invitational	−8 (69-72-67-68=276)	1 stroke	Jerry Barber
80	Apr 17, 1960	Greater Greensboro Open (7)	−14 (68-66-67-69=270)	2 strokes	Dow Finsterwald
81	May 7,1961	Tournament of Champions	−15 (68-67-69-69=273)	7 strokes	Tommy Bolt
82	Apr 4,1965	Greater Greensboro Open (8)	−11 (68-69-68-68=273)	5 strokes	Billy Casper,Jack McGowan, Phil Rodgers

*Note: Tournament shortened to 18/54 holes due to weather.

PGA Tour playoff record (12–6)

No.	Year	Tournament	Opponent(s)	Result
1	1938	Palm Beach Round Robin	Gene Sarazen	Won with birdie on the second extra hole
2	1938	Canadian Open	Harry Cooper	Won 27-hole playoff; Snead: −7 (67-34=101), Cooper: −2 (67-39=106)
3	1939	St. Petersburg Open	Henry Picard	Won with birdie on seventh extra hole after 18-hole playoff; Snead: −3 (69), Picard: −3 (69)
4	1940	Canadian Open	Jug McSpaden	Won 18-hole playoff; Snead: E (71), McSpaden: +1 (72)
5	1945	Gulfport Open	Byron Nelson	Won with par on first extra after 18-hole playoff; Snead: E (71), Nelson: E (71)
6	1945	Charlotte Open	Byron Nelson	Lost second 18-hole playoff; Nelson: −3 (69), Snead: +1 (73) Level after first 18-hole playoff; Nelson: −3 (69), Snead: −3 (69)
7	1946	Virginia Open	Chandler Harper	Won 18-hole playoff; Snead: −5 (64), Harper: −2 (67)
8	1947	U.S. Open	Lew Worsham	Lost 18-hole playoff; Worsham: −2 (69), Snead: −1 (70)
9	1949	Greater Greensboro Open	Lloyd Mangrum	Won 18-hole playoff; Snead: −2 (69), Mangrum: E (71)
10	1950	Los Angeles Open	Ben Hogan	Won 18-hole playoff; Snead: +1 (72), Hogan: +5 (76)
11	1950	St. Paul Open	Jim Ferrier	Lost to par on third extra hole after 18-hole playoff; Ferrier: −3 (69), Hogan: −3 (69)
12	1952	Jacksonville Open	Doug Ford	Lost after concession before playoff
13	1953	Greater Greensboro Open	Doug Ford,Earl Stewart, Art Wall Jr.	Stewart won with a par on the first extra hole after an 18-hole playoff; Stewart: −2 (68), Snead: −2 (68), Ford: E (70), Wall: +2 (72)
14	1954	Masters Tournament	Ben Hogan	Won 18-hole playoff; Snead: −2 (70), Hogan: −1 (71)
15	1955	Miami Open	Tommy Bolt	Won with a par on the first extra hole
16	1956	Greater Greensboro Open	Fred Wampler	Won with birdie on the second extra hole
17	1958	Dallas Open Invitational	Julius Boros,John McMullin, Gary Player	Won with birdie on the first extra hole
18	1958	Havana International	George Bayer	Lost to par on the first extra hole

Sources:^[63][64][65]

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner-up
1	Feb 7,1962	Royal Poinciana Plaza Invitational	−5 (52-53-53-53=211)	5 strokes	Mickey Wright

• 1936West Virginia Open
• 1937West Virginia Open
• 1938West Virginia Open
• 1940Ontario Open (Canada)
• 1941Center Open (Argentina)
• 1941 St Augustine Pro-am (with Wilford Wehrle)
• 1942 St Augustine Pro-am (with Wilford Wehrle)
• 1946 Southern Pines Open
• 1948West Virginia Open,Havana Invitational
• 1949North and South Open,West Virginia Open, National Celebrities Open
• 1951Greenbrier Pro-Am
• 1952West Virginia Open,Brazil Open,Greenbrier Pro-Am, Julius Boros Open, Seminole Pro-am
• 1953Greenbrier Pro-Am, Orlando International Mixed Best Ball (with Betty MacKinnon)
• 1954Panama Open
• 1955 McNaughtons Pro-am
• 1956Canada Cup (withBen Hogan), Boca Raton Open
• 1957West Virginia Open
• 1958West Virginia Open,Greenbrier Invitational
• 1959Sam Snead Festival, Eldorado Professional (tied withDoug Ford)
• 1960West Virginia Open,Canada Cup (withArnold Palmer)
• 1961West Virginia Open,Sam Snead Festival,Canada Cup (withJimmy Demaret),Canada Cup – International Trophy
• 1962Canada Cup (withArnold Palmer)
• 1964Haig & Haig Scotch Foursome (withShirley Englehorn)
• 1966West Virginia Open
• 1967West Virginia Open
• 1968West Virginia Open
• 1970West Virginia Open
• 1971PGA Club Professional Championship,West Virginia Open
• 1972West Virginia Open
• 1973West Virginia Open

Note: this list is incomplete.

• 1964PGA Seniors' Championship,World Senior Championship
• 1965PGA Seniors' Championship,World Senior Championship
• 1967PGA Seniors' Championship
• 1970PGA Seniors' Championship,World Senior Championship
• 1972PGA Seniors' Championship,World Senior Championship
• 1973PGA Seniors' Championship,World Senior Championship
• 1978Legends of Golf (withGardner Dickinson)
• 1980 Golf Digest Commemorative Pro-Am
• 1982Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf (withDon January)

Year	Championship	54 holes	Winning score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
1942	PGA Championship	n/a	2 & 1		Jim Turnesa
1946	The Open Championship	Tied for lead	−2 (71-70-74-75=290)	4 strokes	Johnny Bulla,Bobby Locke
1949	Masters Tournament	1 shot deficit	−6 (73-75-67-67=282)	3 strokes	Johnny Bulla,Lloyd Mangrum
1949	PGA Championship(2)	n/a	3 & 2		Johnny Palmer
1951	PGA Championship(3)	n/a	7 & 6		Walter Burkemo
1952	Masters Tournament(2)	Tied for lead	−2 (70-67-77-72=286)	4 strokes	Jack Burke Jr.
1954	Masters Tournament(3)	3 shot deficit	+1 (74-73-70-72=289)	Playoff1	Ben Hogan

Note: The PGA Championship was match play until 1958.
¹Defeated Ben Hogan in 18-hole playoff – Snead 70 (−2), Hogan 71 (−1).

NT = no tournament
WD = withdrew
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
R64, R32, R16, QF, SF = Round in which player lost in PGA Championship match play

• Most consecutive cuts made – 55 (1937 Masters – 1958 Masters)
• Longest streak of top-10s – 6 (1948 U.S. Open – 1950 Masters)

Professional

• Ryder Cup:1937 (winners),1947 (winners),1949 (winners),1951 (winners, playing captain),1953 (winners),1955 (winners),1959 (winners, playing captain),1969 (tied, non-playing captain)
• Canada Cup:1954,1956 (winners),1957,1958,1959,1960 (winners),1961 (winners, individual winner),1962 (winners)

• List of golfers with most PGA Tour wins
• List of golfers with most wins in one PGA Tour event
• List of men's major championships winning golfers
• Most PGA Tour wins in a year

• Sam Snead at thePGA Tour official site
• Sam Snead at theWorld Golf Hall of Fame
• Sam Snead at golf.about.com at theWayback Machine (archived January 27, 2017)
• Photos of Sam Snead at Palm Beach Golf Classic (archived June 21, 2007)

• American male golfers
• PGA Tour golfers
• PGA Tour Champions golfers
• Winners of men's major golf championships
• Ryder Cup competitors for the United States
• World Golf Hall of Fame inductees
• American golf writers
• Golfers from Virginia
• The Greenbrier people
• United States Navy personnel of World War II
• People from Bath County, Virginia
• People from Hot Springs, Virginia
• 1912 births
• 2002 deaths
• 20th-century American sportsmen

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