Sam Snead: A Forgotten Great

When thinking of the greatest golfers of all time, names such as Nicklaus, Jones, Hagan, Hogan, and Woods are typically the first that come to mind. 

When examining the greatness of a player’s career one factor that is viewed significantly more than any other is the total number of majors wins a player has accumulated over the course of his career. 

The number of total major wins a player has is indeed and important aspect to consider when examining a career.

Majors are widely regarded as the toughest test of the golf there is.  They are played on the toughest courses and are attended by every top golfer on the planet. 

So, it is not in any way unreasonable to place considerably more weight on major wins than any other measurable achievement in a player’s career.

However, some times we put so much weight upon the number of major wins that we forget about many other achievements that also define a player’s career, most notably the total number of PGA tour events they have won. 

This is the main reason why a player such as Sam Snead has been lost in history when viewing the list of names most commenly associated with being the greatest golfers of all time.

Sam Snead does not have as many major wins as the likes of Nicklaus, Woods, Hogan, and Hagan.

However, Snead’s name does appear at the very top of another list that is not given nearly enough attention.

Sam Snead holds the record for the most all-time PGA Tour wins with 82 wins over a 30 year playing career. 

To put that achievement into perspective, Snead has 9 more career wins than Nicklaus, 18 more than Hogan, 38 more than Hagan, 58 more than Gary Player, and 73 more wins than Bobby Jones, albeit Jones more or less retired from competitive play at the age of 28.

Snead is also no slacker when it comes to the number of career major wins. 

Sam Snead won seven majors over the course of his career which places him in a tie for sixth all-time along with Palmer, Jones, Sarazen, and Vardon. 

If there is any negative aspect of Snead’s career it is the fact that he never won a US Open.  He came close several times, with four second place finishes, but he also melted down a considerable number of times on one of golf’s biggest stages.

As far as far as the competition Snead faced throughout his career, it certainly wasn’t as strong as the competition seen on today’s PGA Tour.

However, he did spend most of his career competing against Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson who are regular fixtures on the common list of all-time golfing greats.

Longevity is certainly something Snead never lacked.  He won his last PGA Tour event an incredible 30 years after winning his first making him arguable the most long-term consistent golfer the game has ever seen.

Ranking in a tie for sixth in all-time career major wins and first in all-time career PGA Tour wins should make Snead’s name a fixture on any list of golf’s all-time greats.  

But, unfortunately Snead’s accomplishments have been often overlooked.

Sam Snead is not a mythical, legandary figure as is the case with the likes of Jones, Hogan, Palmer, Nicklaus or Woods.

Jones walked away from the game at the age of 28 after winning four majors in the same calendar year, which is where the phrase "The Grand Slam" originated.  The way in which Jones simply walked away from the game after reaching it's pinnacle has transformed him into an almost mythical figure over the years.

Hogan was a very elusive character which created a form of mystic surrounding his career.  Hogan also reached legendary status when he came back to win the US Open a year after a car accident that very nearly took his life, which inspired the ultra-popular film “Follow The Sun.”

Palmer opened the game of golf up to a whole new audience. 

The son of a Pennsylvania greens-keeper, Palmer was coined the game’s first "blue collar golfer."  Arnie’s army consisted more of factory workers and tradesmen than the elite country club members who were characteristically the only golf fans in the country at that time.

Nicklaus obviously drew his attention from simply winning, and winning often.  Nicklaus’ record 18 career major wins has resulted in many considering him to be the greatest player of all time. 

As for Tiger Woods, there is not much that needs to be said.  Woods is the most recognizable athlete on the planet, the richest athlete on the planet and is on pace to shatter just about every golfing record there is. 

Snead on the other hand was not all that intriguing of a character, which is probably the main reason why his incredible career has not evolved into the same legendary status given to the likes of Jones, Hogan, Nicklaus, and Woods. 

Snead was considered a quirky character.  He wore a straw hat and was said to have played several tournaments in his bare feet.

Being given the name "Slammin Sammy" was about the extent of his lasting media legacy.  

Go to your local bookstore or to amazon.com and look up the name "Sam Snead" and you will see virtually one real biography about his life and career.

Listen to any golf analyst speak about the games all-time greatest players and you will rarely, if ever, hear the name Sam Snead mentioned.

The fact that Snead’s name does not appear at the top of the list of all-time career majors wins nor has he evolved into a mythical or legendary figure seem to be the main reasons why this amazing career is often overlooked.

However, holding the record for most all-time career wins as well as being tied for sixth in all-time majors wins should place Snead near the very top of any list of the game’s all-time greatest players.

Unfortunately Sam Snead has been, and will continue to be largely overlooked as one of the greatest players to have ever picked up a golf club.