You may not have heard of “Slammin Sammy” by name, but almost all golfers have likely been influenced by his contributions to the sport. Throw away those titanium-reinforced clubs, VR training courses, and swing secrets – Sam Snead rose to the top of the game as a Hot Springs, Virginia hobbyist based on hard work, talent, and creativity.
Throughout his career, Snead won seven majors, including three Masters tournaments and PGA Championships, putting his reputation on a par with the all-time greats. Turning pro at age 22, he developed his own unique swing that many players tried (but couldn’t) emulate and was famous for playing barefoot in a straw hat, outperforming competitors who were buttoned up and insulted for his casual appeal. While his opponents were frustrated, he only played with the lights off – he won more than 80 PGA Tour events throughout his career and became one of the greatest golfers of the 20th century.
A Virginia Golfers Tees It Up
Drive through the Virginia landscape and past any of the local golf courses in the center of the state. If you asked any of Sam Snead’s local professionals, they could tell you dozens of legendary stories; if they were about someone else, you might doubt the story, but in Sneak’s case they are completely true. Snead became a legend working as a caddy at the Homestead Country Club and gradually became a top-tier amateur player. Never getting over his local origins, he continued to visit the courses of his hometown and kept a home in the area even as he became a top-tier professional golfer.
Snead, who made his way into the PGA tournament at the age of 23, won his first event as the Greensboro Open in 1938. Snead, who never settled for an isolated title, won that event seven more times in his career. , along with many other events. , including 11 PGA Tour titles in 1950. As one of America’s best golfers, he played on Ryder Cup teams from 1939 to 1959, and was captain three times. Even as he aged, Snead continued to play at the top of his game, winning the first Senior PGA (Champions) Tour event he participated in during 1938.
One of the stories you probably hear about the legend is how he returned to his home field in Hot Springs to shoot a score of 60 in a par field at the age of 71, breaking a field record at an age where most of his contemporaries had retired. Snead continued to work as a teacher, instructor, and advocate for the game as she rose to fame. Snead, who never rested, continued to actively play in tournaments until he was 70 years old. While his name might be as well known as the biggest names in the sport, his accomplishments and focus were second to none.
