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Sam Snead

United States · born , Ashwood, Virginia, USA · died

7major championships

Summary

  • First major 1942 PGA Championship
  • Last major 1954 The Masters
  • Ryder Cup 7 Cups · 10-2-1 · 10.5 points (80.8%)
  • Ryder Cup captain 1951, 1959, 1969
  • Runner-up in majors 8 times

Wins

  1. 1942 PGA Championship Seaview Country Club · won the final 2 & 1 against Jim Turnesa
  2. 1946 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · 290 · by 4 strokes from Johnny Bulla and Bobby Locke
  3. 1949 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 282 (-6) · by 3 strokes from Johnny Bulla and Lloyd Mangrum
  4. 1949 PGA Championship Hermitage Country Club · won the final 3 & 2 against Johnny Palmer
  5. 1951 PGA Championship Oakmont Country Club · won the final 7 & 6 against Walter Burkemo
  6. 1952 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 286 (-2) · by 4 strokes from Jack Burke Jr.
  7. 1954 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 289 (+1) · won a playoff against Ben Hogan

Near misses

  1. 1937 U.S. Open Oakland Hills C.C. · runner-up to Ralph Guldahl
  2. 1938 PGA Championship Shawnee Country Club · runner-up to Paul Runyan · lost the final 8 & 7
  3. 1939 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Ralph Guldahl · 280
  4. 1940 PGA Championship Hershey Country Club · runner-up to Byron Nelson · lost the final 1 up
  5. 1947 U.S. Open St. Louis C.C. · runner-up to Lew Worsham · playoff: 18 holes, 69–70
  6. 1949 U.S. Open Medinah C.C. · runner-up to Cary Middlecoff
  7. 1953 U.S. Open Oakmont C.C. · runner-up to Ben Hogan
  8. 1957 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Doug Ford · 286
  9. 1962 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T6 · 292

Ryder Cup

7 Cups, 13 matches: 10 won, 2 lost, 1 halved, 10.5 points. Foursomes 4-1-1, four-ball 0-0-0, singles 6-1-0.

  1. 1937 Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club USA · USA won 8–4 · 1-0-0, 1 point
  2. 1947 Portland Golf Club USA · USA won 11–1 · 2-0-0, 2 points
  3. 1949 Ganton Golf Club USA · USA won 7–5 · 1-1-0, 1 point
  4. 1951 Pinehurst Resort, Course No. 2 USA · USA won 9.5–2.5 · 2-0-0, 2 points
  5. 1953 Wentworth Club (course not named in sources found) USA · USA won 6.5–5.5 · 1-1-0, 1 point · automatic
  6. 1955 Thunderbird Ranch & Country Club USA · USA won 8–4 · 2-0-0, 2 points
  7. 1959 Eldorado Country Club USA · USA won 8.5–3.5 · 1-0-1, 1.5 points
  8. 1951 Captain USA · won 9.5–2.5
  9. 1959 Captain USA · won 8.5–3.5
  10. 1969 Captain USA · tied (retained Cup) 16–16

Rivals

Beat him

Beaten in finals and playoffs

Ryder Cup partners

Ryder Cup opponents

Next in the chain: Paul Runyan's rivals →

Moments

  1. 1942 PGA Championship Army private Jim Turnesa knocked out Ben Hogan 2 & 1 in the 36-hole quarterfinal.
  2. 1942 PGA Championship Turnesa then beat Byron Nelson on the 37th hole of the semifinal before losing the final to Snead, whose first major this was.
  3. 1946 Open Arriving by train, Snead looked out at the Old Course and said it looked like 'an old abandoned kinda place' - days later he won on it.
  4. 1946 Open On a windy final day Dai Rees and Henry Cotton both found the Swilcan Burn at the 1st; Rees shot 80, and Snead's closing 75 is, per the R&A, the highest final round by any champion since.
  5. 1949 Masters Snead was the first Masters champion to be awarded a green jacket at the tournament; earlier winners received theirs retroactively.
  6. 1949 Masters Snead closed with back-to-back 67s to win by three, and later that year became the first player to win the Masters and PGA Championship in the same year.
  7. 1949 PGA Championship Snead beat Jim Ferrier 3 & 2 in the semifinal, after beating Jimmy Demaret 4 & 3 in the quarterfinal.
  8. 1949 PGA Championship Palmer reached the final by routing Lloyd Mangrum 6 & 5 in the semifinal, then lost 3 & 2 as Snead became the first to win the Masters and PGA in the same year.
  9. 1951 PGA Championship Burkemo beat former Wimbledon and U.S. tennis champion Ellsworth Vines on the 37th hole of their semifinal.
  10. 1951 PGA Championship Snead overwhelmed Charles Bassler 9 & 8 in the other semifinal, then beat Burkemo 7 & 6 for his third PGA title.
  11. 1952 Masters Defending champion Ben Hogan hosted the first Champions Dinner, a tradition now hosted each year by the defending champion.
  12. 1952 Masters Snead and Hogan shared the 54-hole lead, but in strong wind Hogan closed with 79 while Snead shot 72 to win by four.
  13. 1954 Masters Amateur Billy Joe Patton led during the final round but made 7 at the 13th and 6 at the 15th and missed the playoff by one stroke.
  14. 1954 Masters In the Monday 18-hole playoff Hogan three-putted the 16th from about 11 feet, and Snead won 70 to 71 for his third Masters.

Records and firsts

  1. 1954 Masters Highest winning score · 289 (+1) (1954; 1956; 2007) (Sam Snead; Jack Burke Jr.; Zach Johnson)
  2. — PGA Championship biggest final margin · 8 & 7 (Paul Runyan d. Sam Snead, 1938)
  3. — PGA Championship second-biggest final margin · 7 & 6 (Sam Snead d. Walter Burkemo, 1951; Ben Hogan d. Mike Turnesa, 1948)
  4. — PGA Championship longest match on record · 41 or 42 holes (Golf Compendium: Bobby Cruickshank d. Al Watrous on the 41st hole, 1932 (from 9 down with 12 to play); but Golf Compendium 1948 and New England Golf have Claude Harmon d. Sam Snead on the 42nd hole of the 1948 quarterfinal)
  5. 1938 PGA Championship PGA Championship match-play finals (finals, won, lost): 5 · 3 · 2 (1938; 1940; 1942; 1949; 1951)

Results by championship

    Best day

    1952 Masters

    Augusta National Golf Club · 286 (-2) · by 4 strokes from Jack Burke Jr.

    Defending champion Ben Hogan hosted the first Champions Dinner, a tradition now hosted each year by the defending champion.

    Snead and Hogan shared the 54-hole lead, but in strong wind Hogan closed with 79 while Snead shot 72 to win by four.

    Chosen by rule: his widest winning margin in a major. Year page: 1952.

    Career line, 1937–1962

    Masters
    1939 Masters: runner-up to Ralph Guldahl1949 Masters: won1952 Masters: won1954 Masters: won1957 Masters: runner-up to Doug Ford
    PGA Championship
    1938 PGA Championship: runner-up to Paul Runyan1940 PGA Championship: runner-up to Byron Nelson1942 PGA Championship: won1949 PGA Championship: won1951 PGA Championship: won
    U.S. Open
    1937 U.S. Open: runner-up to Ralph Guldahl1947 U.S. Open: runner-up to Lew Worsham1949 U.S. Open: runner-up to Cary Middlecoff1953 U.S. Open: runner-up to Ben Hogan
    The Open
    1946 The Open: won1962 The Open: finished T6
    Ryder Cup
    1937 Ryder Cup (USA): 1-0-01947 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-0-01949 Ryder Cup (USA): 1-1-01951 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-0-01953 Ryder Cup (USA): 1-1-01955 Ryder Cup (USA): 2-0-01959 Ryder Cup (USA): 1-0-1
    194019501960

    23 results. Hover or tap a mark; click it for the year.

    • Major win
    • Runner-up
    • Top 10
    • Ryder Cup, USA

    Sam Snead was born on May 27, 1912, in Ashwood, Virginia, USA. Snead won 7 major championships: 3 Masters (1949, 1952, 1954), 3 PGA Championships (1942, 1949, 1951) and 1 Open Championship (1946). Snead played in 7 Ryder Cups for USA (1937, 1947, 1949, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1959), winning 10, losing 2 and halving 1 of 13 matches for 10.5 points, and captained the side in 1951, 1959 and 1969.

    See Sam Snead in our rooms: The Masters, U.S. Open, The Open, Greatest Golfer by State and Every Ground.

    Cards you pull this visit stack here. Tap one to go back to it.

    The record

    Wins in the majors (7)

    1. 1942 PGA Championship Seaview Country Club, Galloway Township, New Jersey · won the final 2 & 1 against Jim Turnesa
    2. 1946 The Open Old Course, St Andrews · 290 · by 4 strokes from Johnny Bulla and Bobby Locke
    3. 1949 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 282 (-6) · by 3 strokes from Johnny Bulla and Lloyd Mangrum
    4. 1949 PGA Championship Hermitage Country Club, Richmond, Virginia · won the final 3 & 2 against Johnny Palmer
    5. 1951 PGA Championship Oakmont Country Club, Oakmont, Pennsylvania · won the final 7 & 6 against Walter Burkemo
    6. 1952 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 286 (-2) · by 4 strokes from Jack Burke Jr.
    7. 1954 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · 289 (+1) · won a playoff against Ben Hogan (Snead 70; Hogan 71)

    Near misses

    Top-10 finishes are listed for The Open, the one championship with a full top 10 every year.

    1. 1937 U.S. Open Oakland Hills C.C. · runner-up to Ralph Guldahl
    2. 1938 PGA Championship Shawnee Country Club · runner-up to Paul Runyan · lost the final 8 & 7
    3. 1939 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Ralph Guldahl · 280
    4. 1940 PGA Championship Hershey Country Club · runner-up to Byron Nelson · lost the final 1 up
    5. 1947 U.S. Open St. Louis C.C. · runner-up to Lew Worsham · playoff: 18 holes, 69–70
    6. 1949 U.S. Open Medinah C.C. · runner-up to Cary Middlecoff
    7. 1953 U.S. Open Oakmont C.C. · runner-up to Ben Hogan
    8. 1957 The Masters Augusta National Golf Club · runner-up to Doug Ford · 286
    9. 1962 The Open Troon Golf Club (Old Course) · finished T6 · 292

    U.S. Open top-10 finishes in his career: 12 (GNN U.S. Open room data).

    Ryder Cup

    Snead played 7 Ryder Cups for USA: 13 matches, 10 won, 2 lost, 1 halved, 10.5 points (80.8% of those available). By format: foursomes 4-1-1, four-ball 0-0-0, singles 6-1-0 (won-lost-halved).

    1. 1937 Southport and Ainsdale Golf Club USA · USA won 8–4 · 1-0-0, 1 point
    2. 1947 Portland Golf Club USA · USA won 11–1 · 2-0-0, 2 points
    3. 1949 Ganton Golf Club USA · USA won 7–5 · 1-1-0, 1 point
    4. 1951 Pinehurst Resort, Course No. 2 USA · USA won 9.5–2.5 · 2-0-0, 2 points
    5. 1953 Wentworth Club (course not named in sources found) USA · USA won 6.5–5.5 · 1-1-0, 1 point · automatic
    6. 1955 Thunderbird Ranch & Country Club USA · USA won 8–4 · 2-0-0, 2 points
    7. 1959 Eldorado Country Club USA · USA won 8.5–3.5 · 1-0-1, 1.5 points
    8. 1951 Captain USA · won 9.5–2.5
    9. 1959 Captain USA · won 8.5–3.5
    10. 1969 Captain USA · tied (retained Cup) 16–16

    Partners, with matches played together: Lloyd Mangrum (4), Cary Middlecoff (2).

    PGA Championship match play

    Every recorded match in our bracket file, 1916–1957: 45 won, 14 lost, including 3 of 5 finals.

    1. 1937 Round of 64 beat Jack Sabol 4 & 3
    2. 1937 Round of 32 beat Alvin Kreuger 2 up
    3. 1937 Round of 16 lost to Jug McSpaden 2 up
    4. 1938 Round of 64 beat Frank Champ 4 & 3
    5. 1938 Round of 32 beat Terl Johnson 4 & 3
    6. 1938 Round of 16 beat Felix Serafin 4 & 3
    7. 1938 Quarterfinal beat Jim Foulis 8 & 7
    8. 1938 Semifinal beat Jimmy Hines 1 up
    9. 1938 Final lost to Paul Runyan 8 & 7
    10. 1940 Round of 64 beat Nelson Giddens 2 & 1
    11. 1940 Round of 32 beat Charles Sheppard 3 & 2
    12. 1940 Round of 16 beat Jimmy Hines 7 & 6
    13. 1940 Quarterfinal beat Gene Sarazen 1 up
    14. 1940 Semifinal beat Jug McSpaden 5 & 4
    15. 1940 Final lost to Byron Nelson 1 up
    16. 1941 Round of 64 beat Earl Martin won on 23rd hole
    17. 1941 Round of 32 beat Phil Greenwaldt 7 & 6
    18. 1941 Round of 16 beat Mike Turnesa 1 up
    19. 1941 Quarterfinal lost to Lloyd Mangrum 6 & 4
    20. 1942 Round of 32 beat Sam Byrd 7 & 6
    21. 1942 Round of 16 beat Willie Goggin 9 & 8
    22. 1942 Quarterfinal beat Ed Dudley 1 up
    23. 1942 Semifinal beat Jimmy Demaret 3 & 2
    24. 1942 Final beat Jim Turnesa 2 & 1
    25. 1946 Round of 64 beat Bob McKendrick 4 & 3
    26. 1946 Round of 32 lost to George Schneiter 6 & 5
    27. 1947 Round of 64 beat Jimmy Thomson 2 up
    28. 1947 Round of 32 lost to Gene Sarazen 2 & 1
    29. 1948 Round of 64 beat Clay Gaddie 6 & 5
    30. 1948 Round of 32 beat Frank Moore 4 & 3
    31. 1948 Round of 16 beat Leland Gibson 1 up
    32. 1948 Quarterfinal lost to Claude Harmon won on 42nd hole
    33. 1949 Round of 64 beat Jack Burke 3 & 2
    34. 1949 Round of 32 beat Henry Ransom 3 & 1
    35. 1949 Round of 16 beat Dave Douglas 1 up
    36. 1949 Quarterfinal beat Jimmy Demaret 4 & 3
    37. 1949 Semifinal beat Jim Ferrier 3 & 2
    38. 1949 Final beat Johnny Palmer 3 & 2
    39. 1950 Round of 64 beat Sam Byrd 1 up
    40. 1950 Round of 32 lost to Eddie Burke 1 up
    41. 1951 Round of 64 beat Fred Haas Jr. 1 up
    42. 1951 Round of 32 beat Marty Furgol won on 21st hole
    43. 1951 Round of 16 beat Lloyd Mangrum 3 & 2
    44. 1951 Quarterfinal beat Jack Burke Jr. 2 & 1
    45. 1951 Semifinal beat Charles Bassler 9 & 8
    46. 1951 Final beat Walter Burkemo 7 & 6
    47. 1952 Round of 64 lost to Lew Worsham won on 19th hole
    48. 1953 Round of 64 beat Bennie Adams 6 & 5
    49. 1953 Round of 32 lost to Dave Douglas won on 19th hole
    50. 1954 Round of 64 beat Tony Holguin 1 up
    51. 1954 Round of 32 beat Jim Milward 4 & 3
    52. 1954 Round of 16 beat Dutch Harrison 7 & 6
    53. 1954 Quarterfinal lost to Tommy Bolt won on 39th hole
    54. 1955 Round of 64 beat Albert Feminelli 2 & 1
    55. 1955 Round of 32 lost to Tommy Bolt 3 & 2
    56. 1956 Round of 16 beat Gene Sarazen 5 & 4
    57. 1956 Quarterfinal lost to Ted Kroll 2 & 1
    58. 1957 Round of 32 beat John Thoren 3 & 2
    59. 1957 Round of 16 lost to Dow Finsterwald 2 & 1

    Masters Champions Dinner

    No menu has been recorded for the 1953 (as the 1952 champion) and 1955 (as the 1954 champion) dinners. Until about 1986 champions did not design the meal: the club served its standard menu.

    Records and firsts

    Rows from our record tables that name this player, worded as the tables word them.

    1. 1954 Masters Highest winning score · 289 (+1) (1954; 1956; 2007) (Sam Snead; Jack Burke Jr.; Zach Johnson)
    2. — PGA Championship biggest final margin · 8 & 7 (Paul Runyan d. Sam Snead, 1938)
    3. — PGA Championship second-biggest final margin · 7 & 6 (Sam Snead d. Walter Burkemo, 1951; Ben Hogan d. Mike Turnesa, 1948)
    4. — PGA Championship longest match on record · 41 or 42 holes (Golf Compendium: Bobby Cruickshank d. Al Watrous on the 41st hole, 1932 (from 9 down with 12 to play); but Golf Compendium 1948 and New England Golf have Claude Harmon d. Sam Snead on the 42nd hole of the 1948 quarterfinal)
    5. 1938 PGA Championship PGA Championship match-play finals (finals, won, lost): 5 · 3 · 2 (1938; 1940; 1942; 1949; 1951)

    Sources

    Elsewhere: Wikipedia.

    Every fact on this page comes from Golf Network News data sets compiled in October 2026 (Masters, PGA Championship, The Open, U.S. Women's Open, Ryder Cup, PGA Tour 2024–2026, major host sites, Champions Dinner menus, and the U.S. Open and state rooms). These are the sources those rows cite.

    1. golfcompendium.com: masters winners
    2. golfcompendium.com: us open winners
    3. golfcompendium.com: british open winners
    4. golfcompendium.com: pga championship winners
    5. Wikipedia: Sam Snead
    6. golfcompendium.com: pga tour career wins
    7. golfcompendium.com: 1939 masters
    8. golfcompendium.com: 1957 masters
    9. Wikipedia: Masters Tournament
    10. pga.com: list masters champions
    11. WGHOF
    12. WP: List of American Ryder Cup golfers
    13. rydercup.com — link no longer works (checked October 17, 2026): https://rydercup.com/news-media/usa/ryder-cup-team-usa-past-captains
    14. Golf Compendium
    15. PGA of America winners & venues
    16. Golf Compendium 1942
    17. The Golf News Net history table (2026)
    18. Today's Golfer purse history
    19. Trenham, Snead and Turnesa 1942
    20. Trenham, Philadelphia PGA history 1940–1949
    21. Trenham, four majors in five years
    22. Golf Compendium tournament records
    23. PGA of America 2013 media guide, p. 89
    24. R&A 1946
    25. GC 1946
    26. golfcompendium.com: 1949 masters tournament
    27. Wikipedia: 1949 Masters Tournament
    28. golf.com: masters purse masters winners payouts alltime
    29. todays-golfer.com: how the masters prize money has changed over the years
    30. pgatour.com: what is the cut at the masters tournament augusta national (archived copy; the original link no longer works)
    31. todays-golfer.com: cut rules
    32. nbcsports.com: by the numbers jumpsuit numbers for every masters champions caddie
    33. liveabout.com: what are the yardages at augusta national during the masters 1564592
    34. Golf Compendium 1949
    35. Golf Compendium 1951
    36. Trenham, Philadelphia PGA history 1950–1959
    37. Daily Racing Form, 29 June 1951 (AP)
    38. Wikipedia: 1952 Masters Tournament
    39. golfcompendium.com: 1952 masters tournament
    40. topendsports.com: winners
    41. Wikipedia: 1954 Masters Tournament
    42. golfcompendium.com: 1954 masters
    43. R&A 1962
    44. Golf Compendium 1937
    45. Golf Compendium 1938
    46. Golf Compendium 1940
    47. Golf Compendium 1941
    48. Golf Compendium 1948
    49. New England Golf, match-play history
    50. Golf Compendium 1952
    51. Golf Compendium 1953
    52. Michigan Daily, 4 July 1953 (AP)
    53. Golf Compendium 1954
    54. Golf Compendium 1956
    55. Golf Compendium 1957
    56. GC: 1937 ryder cup
    57. Wikipedia: 1937 Ryder Cup
    58. GC: 1947 ryder cup
    59. Wikipedia: 1947 Ryder Cup
    60. GC: 1949 ryder cup
    61. Wikipedia: 1949 Ryder Cup
    62. GC: 1951 ryder cup
    63. Wikipedia: 1951 Ryder Cup
    64. GC: 1953 ryder cup
    65. Wikipedia: 1953 Ryder Cup
    66. GC: 1955 ryder cup
    67. Wikipedia: 1955 Ryder Cup
    68. GC: 1959 ryder cup
    69. Wikipedia: 1959 Ryder Cup
    70. Golf Compendium biggest comebacks