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91-479: Samuel Jackson Snead ( / s n iː d / ; May 27, 1912 – May 23, 2002) was an American professional golfer who was one of the top players in the world for the better part of four decades (having won PGA of America and Senior PGA Tour events over six decades) 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

182-409: 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." and "There are no short hitters on the tour anymore, just long and unbelievably long." Fellow West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame Inductee Bill Campbell has said of Snead, "He

273-502: A 15th club in the bag, a violation of the Rules of Golf that limits a player to 14 clubs. The extra club in his bag, a fairway 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

364-558: A PGA Tour event. Snead introduced his first book, Sam Snead's quick way to better golf . 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 the U.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

455-411: A brother, Pete, of Pittsburgh, as well as two grandchildren. His wife Audrey died in 1990. His nephew J. C. Snead was also a PGA Tour golfer . Snead was mentioned several times in the comic strip Peanuts at the height of his popularity during the 1950s and 1960s. As its creator and avid golfer Charles M. Schulz said in a 1971 interview: "I was a great admirer of Sam Snead. I once watched him play

546-567: A five-year contract. He was succeeded by tour player Deane Beman in early 1974, who served for twenty years. Jack Nicklaus continued his dominance, winning 38 titles. The tour's name officially changed to the "PGA Tour" in 1975. In 1978 the PGA Tour "removed its restriction on women." However, no women have joined the tour since this date. Without the tour players, the PGA of America became primarily an association of club professionals , but retained control of two significant events;

637-568: A record-breaking year, winning 18 PGA tournaments out of the 30 he played, including 11 in a row that he played in. Both records are yet to be beaten. The Byron Nelson , which became the first PGA Tour event to be named for a professional golfer in 1968, is played annually near Dallas as of 2024. Throughout the 1950s, despite injuries from a car crash, star player Ben Hogan won 10 PGA Tour tournaments, including 6 major championships and three times at his hometown tournament in Forth Worth, Texas

728-569: 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." He played himself in the 1951 Ben Hogan semi-autobiographical movie starring Glenn Ford and Anne Baxter called Follow the Sun . There is a Sam Snead Street in San Antonio, Texas . During his peak years, Snead was an exceptionally long driver, particularly into

819-794: A second $ 1.5 billion following the conclusion of negotiations between the PGA Tour and the Saudi Public Investment Fund. In addition, active players will be given an opportunity to receive grants of equity in PGA Tour Enterprises. Most members of the tour play between 20 and 30 tournaments in the season. The geography of the tour is determined by climate. It starts in Hawaii in January and spends most of its first two months in California and Arizona during what

910-422: A second 54-hole cut to the low 70 professionals and ties. Those who do not survive the 54-hole cut were designated as MDF (made the cut, did not finish). For the 2020 season, the cut line was reduced to 65 plus ties and eliminated the 54-hole cut. The Fall Series saw major changes for 2009, with one of its events moving to May and another dropping off the schedule entirely. It returned to its original start date of

1001-625: A team of golfers representing the US with an "International" team consisting of non-European players (Europeans instead play in the Ryder Cup , held in even-numbered years). Before the transition, the Tour held a group of events known as the PGA Tour Fall Series , which provided a final opportunity for golfers to make the top 125 in season earnings and thereby retain their Tour cards. With

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1092-806: A tournament in Mexico, an alternate event staged the same week as the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship . A tournament in Puerto Rico was introduced in 2008 as an alternate event staged opposite the WGC-CA Championship . The Tour continues through the fall, with the focus on the scramble of the less successful players to earn enough money to retain their tour cards. A circuit known as the Fall Series , originally with seven tournaments but now with four,

1183-495: 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. Snead ended up in fifth place, two shots behind three players who went into a playoff. During World 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

1274-663: Is known as the "West Coast Swing" and then moves to the American Southeast for the "Southern Swing". Each swing culminates in a significant tour event. In April, tour events begin to drift north. The summer months are spent mainly in the Northeast and the Midwest, and in the fall (autumn) the tour heads south again. In most of the regular events on tour, the field is either 132, 144 or 156 players, depending on time of year (and available daylight hours). All players making

1365-616: Is not involved with the women's golf tours in the U.S., which are mostly controlled by the LPGA . The PGA Tour is also not the governing body for the game of golf in the United States; this, instead, is the role of the United States Golf Association (USGA), which organizes the U.S. Open . What the PGA Tour does organize are the remaining 43 (in 2009) week-to-week events, including The Players Championship and

1456-463: Is the first significant tournament professional from the People's Republic of China . In various countries, Professional Golfers' Associations (PGAs) serve either or both of these categories of professionals. There are separate LPGAs (Ladies Professional Golf Associations) for women. Under the rules of golf and amateur status, the maximum value of a prize an amateur can accept is £700 or US$ 1000. Before

1547-399: Is very difficult for a professional to regain their amateur status; simply agreeing not to take payment for a particular tournament is not enough. A player must apply to the governing body of the sport to have amateur status reinstated. Historically, the distinction between amateur and professional golfers had much to do with social class . In 18th and 19th century Britain, golf was played by

1638-612: The 2005 Nissan Open . The PGA Tour does not run any of the four major championships ( Masters , PGA Championship , U.S. Open , The Open ), or the Ryder Cup . The PGA of America , not the PGA Tour, runs the PGA Championship and the Senior PGA Championship , and co-organizes the Ryder Cup with Ryder Cup Europe, a company controlled by the PGA European Tour . Additionally, the PGA Tour

1729-548: The Colonial National Invitation . Younger working class player Arnold Palmer won 13 PGA Tour tournaments, becoming a crowd favorite and TV star including capturing his first Masters Tournament on CBS in 1958. Sam Snead was dominant on his way to a record-setting 82 PGA Tour career victories. Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were the dominant players of the 1960s, with Palmer winning 43 titles and Nicklaus winning 30. With an increase of revenue in

1820-594: The European Tour for the top golfers, including the world number one . Tim Finchem became the third commissioner in June 1994 and continued for over 22 years; on January 1, 2017, he was succeeded by Jay Monahan . As Tiger Woods emerged as a dominant player, TV ratings and revenues soared for the tour. In 1999, the tour began play of the World Golf Championships and

1911-576: The PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup . The former was an established major championship , but the latter was an obscure match play team event which was not particularly popular with golf fans, due to predictable dominance by the United States. With the addition of players from continental Europe in 1979 and expanded television coverage, it became very competitive and evolved into the premier international team event, lately dominated by Europe. Both events are very important revenue streams for

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2002-588: The Royal Poinciana Plaza Invitational , an LPGA Tour "Battle of the Sexes" tournament where he faced off against 14 LPGA pros. The low woman was Mickey Wright , herself Snead's equivalent in women's golf, with the most wins on that tour. His 1962 autobiography was titled The Education of a Golfer. Snead later wrote several golf instructional books, and frequently wrote instructional columns in golf magazines. In 1965, Snead became

2093-479: The Tour Championship . Tiger Woods continued his dominance of the tour in the 2000s, winning 57 of his 82 career titles. Three of the four majors had settled into a pattern of play in eight weeks between June and August. In the past, this had threatened to make the last 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 months of the season anticlimactic, as some of the very top players competed less from that point on. In response,

2184-495: The U.S. Pro Tennis Championships . In the first round, he faced the eventual winner Karel Kozeluh , losing to Kozeluh by scores of 6–1, 6–1, and 6–1. In 1938, Snead first won the Greater 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

2275-605: The Valero Texas Open dates back to this era of state opens on the tour. The tour, then known informally as "The Circuit" for professional golfers in the PGA, became more formalized in 1929. A tournament committee was formed, consisting of Tommy Armour , Al Espinosa and J.J. Patterson. In 1930, Bob Harlow was hired as manager of the PGA Tournament Bureau and worked to formalize a year-round schedule of tournaments. In 1945, Byron Nelson enjoyed

2366-414: The 20th century ( Walter Hagen is sometimes considered to have been the first man to have done so). In the developed world, the class distinction is now almost entirely irrelevant. Golf is affordable at public courses to a large portion of the population, and most golf professionals are from middle-class backgrounds, which are often the same sort of backgrounds as the members of the clubs where they work or

2457-491: The APG and form the PGA "Tournament Players Division", a fully autonomous division under the supervision of a new 10-member Tournament Policy Board. The board consisted of four tour players, three PGA of America executives, and three outside members, initially business executives. Joseph Dey , the recently retired USGA executive director, was selected by the board as the tour's first commissioner in January 1969 and agreed to

2548-530: The FedEx Cup points list at the end of the FedEx Cup regular season in August retained their cards. The tour also said that it would decide at a later time whether to keep this aspect of the qualifying system in place in future seasons. Otherwise, the planned move by the tour to have the top 125 players on the FedEx Cup points list retain their tour cards took effect with the 2014 season. The next 75 players on

2639-521: The PGA Tour Policy Board approved a change in the number of players that will make the cut. The cut will continue to be low 70 professionals and ties, unless that results in a post-cut field of more than 78 players. Under that circumstance, the cut score will be selected to make a field as close to 70 players as possible without exceeding 78. Players who are cut in such circumstances but who have placed 70th or worse will get credit for making

2730-471: The PGA Tour are run by different organizations, as are the U.S.-based LPGA Tour for women and other men's and women's professional tours around the world. The roots of the modern PGA Tour stretch back to April 10, 1916, when the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) was formed. The modern tour recognizes wins from this era as "PGA Tour" victories despite the formal founding of

2821-402: The PGA Tour for defecting to LIV. The announcement was met with shock from players, who did not learn of the agreement until it was officially announced, with media outlets describing them as having felt "betrayed" by the decision. The deadline for completing the deal was December 31, 2023, although it was reported that the parties were attempting to negotiate an extension. Concurrently,

Sam Snead - Misplaced Pages Continue

2912-501: The PGA Tour introduced a new format in 2007, the FedEx Cup . From January through mid-August players competed in "regular season" events and earn FedEx Cup points, in addition to prize money. At the end of the regular season, the top 125 FedEx Cup points winners are eligible to compete in the "playoffs", four events taking place from mid-August to mid-September. The field sizes for these events are reduced from 125 to 100 to 70 and finally

3003-486: The PGA Tour suspended 17 players who played in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational Series event. Monahan wrote in a memo to the tour's membership that any players that take part in future LIV Golf events will be subjected to the same punishment. PGA Tour members that joined LIV Golf included major champions Brooks Koepka , Bryson DeChambeau , Patrick Reed , Dustin Johnson , and Phil Mickelson . In July 2022, it

3094-483: The PGA Tour was negotiating with another investor, Strategic Sports Group, which is a consortium of professional sports owners—including Tom Werner , Arthur Blank , Steve Cohen , Wyc Grousbeck , Thomas S. Ricketts , and others—led by Fenway Sports Group . On January 31, 2024, the PGA Tour announced that it had agreed to a $ 3 billion investment by Strategic Sports Group into its for-profit arm, PGA Tour Enterprises. The consortium will pay $ 1.5 billion initially, and then

3185-454: The PGA Tour will appoint the majority of its board members and have its commissioner Jay Monahan act as CEO. The agreement does not impact the three entities' administrative oversight over their events, hence the PGA Tour as a sanctioning entity will remain a 501(c)6 nonprofit organization. The agreement ends all pending litigation between the organizations, and there are plans for a "fair and objective" process to readmit players blacklisted by

3276-866: The PGA Tour's current regular season – the CIMB Classic in Malaysia and the HSBC Champions , a World Golf Championships event held in China – became full PGA Tour events, with official prize money, for the first time. Before 2013, neither event had full PGA Tour status despite being sanctioned by the Tour. Wins in the CIMB Classic were not classified as official PGA Tour wins, and HSBC Champions victories were official wins only for current PGA Tour members. Money earned in these events did not count as official PGA Tour earnings for any purpose. In June 2022,

3367-756: The PGA Tour), as well as the PGA Tour Canada , PGA Tour Latinoamérica , and formerly the PGA Tour China . The PGA Tour is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida , a suburb southeast of Jacksonville . Originally established by the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America), it was spun off in December 1968 into a separate organization for tour players, as opposed to club professionals ,

3458-668: The PGA Tour, he won six events, including the Oakland Open at Claremont Country Club in California and his second West Virginia Open. In Snead's debut in the U.S. Open hosted at Oakland Hills , he finishes runner-up to Ralph Guldahl (who won with 19 clubs in his bag). Snead shared the first round lead shooting 69 with fellow West Virginian Denny Shute ( 1936 and 1937 PGA Champion). In Snead's first of two attempts in The Open Championship , he finished tied for 11th. While working at The Greenbrier , Snead played in

3549-524: The PGA of America. In late August 1981, the PGA Tour had a marketing dispute with the PGA of America and officially changed its name to the TPA Tour , for the "Tournament Players Association". The disputed issues were resolved within seven months and the tour's name was changed back to the "PGA Tour" in March 1982. The Official World Golf Ranking was introduced in 1986, with the PGA Tour competing with

3640-540: The PGA) Tour events and later credited with winning a record 82 PGA Tour events tied with Tiger Woods , including seven majors . He never won the U.S. Open , though he was runner-up four times. Snead was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974. Snead's nicknames included "The Slammer", "Slammin' Sammy Snead", and "The Long Ball Hitter from West Virginia ", and he was admired by many for having

3731-540: The PGA. Tournaments recognized as PGA Tour wins from this era include the California Open , Connecticut Open , Florida Open , Maryland Open , Massachusetts Open , New Jersey State Open , New York State Open , Ohio Open , Oklahoma Open , Oregon Open , Pennsylvania Open Championship , Utah Open , Virginia Open and the Wisconsin State Open . This legacy lives on with the modern PGA Tour as

Sam Snead - Misplaced Pages Continue

3822-520: The Royal and ancient golf club of St. Andrews . At the U.S. Open in 1947 , Snead missed a 30-inch (76 cm) putt on the final playoff hole to finish runner-up to Lew Worsham . Snead won three times in 1948, including his first Texas Open and fourth West Virginia Open . In 1949, Snead won nine PGA events including two majors including the Masters and the PGA Championship and was awarded Golfer of

3913-632: The U.S. Navy from 1942 to 1944. In 1946, Snead won six times including the Open Championship at St Andrews . His expenses for playing there were more than three times his winning purse. 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

4004-632: The U.S. Open). In 1954, Snead won two events, one of which was the Masters in an 18-hole playoff over Ben Hogan. In December 1959, Snead took part in a controversial match against Mason Rudolph , at the Mid Ocean Club in Bermuda . The match played under the NBC'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

4095-479: The Year. For Snead, it was the third of four second-place finishes at the U.S. Open , the only major championship he never won. 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. In 1950, Snead won 11 events, placing him third in that category behind Byron Nelson (18, in 1945) and Ben Hogan (13, in 1946). Snead claimed that 1950

4186-448: The addition of the PGA Championship in 1916. The Open Championship in the UK, the oldest golf tournament in the world founded in 1860, would become a PGA Tour event much later in 1995. All Open Championship wins dating back to 1860 were retroactively recognized as PGA Tour victories in 2002. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, various state open tournaments began, many organized by sections of

4277-477: The amateurism rules. If an amateur accepts a prize of greater than this in a competition covered by the amateurism rules, they forfeit their amateur status, and are therefore by definition a professional golfer. Professional golfers are divided into two main groups, with a limited amount of overlap between them: In the United States, the PGA of America has 31 distinct member classifications for professionals. Many of

4368-697: The book, Pigeons, Marks, Hustlers and Other Golf Bettors You Can Beat . In 1997, at age 85, he shot a round of 78 at the Old White course of The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia . In 1998, he received the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award , the fourth person to be so honored. From 1984 to 2002, he hit the honorary starting tee shot at the Masters Tournament . Until 1999, he

4459-545: The change to an October-to-September season, several of the former Fall Series events will now open the season. The Tour also sanctions two events in Asia during that part of the year: On March 20, 2012, the tour announced radical changes to the tour's season and qualifying process. Further details of these changes relating to the Fall Series were announced on June 26, with the remaining details announced on July 10. One of

4550-659: The classifications also have corresponding apprenticeship positions. PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, as well as the PGA Tour Champions (age 50 and older) and the Korn Ferry Tour (for professional players who have not yet qualified to play on

4641-660: The cut and will earn official money and FedEx Cup points. This policy affected two of the first three events with cuts, the Sony Open in Hawaii and the Buick Invitational . In late February, the Policy Board announced a revised cut policy, effective beginning with the Honda Classic . The new policy calls for 36-hole cut to the low 70 professionals and ties and, if that cut results in more than 78 players,

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4732-448: The cut earn money for the tournament with the winner usually receiving 18% of the total purse. In the event that the PGA Tour cannot guarantee four rounds of play, the PGA Tour can shorten an event to 54 holes. A 54-hole event is still considered official, with full points and monies awarded. Any tournament stopped before 54 holes can be completed is reverted to the 36-hole score and the win is considered unofficial, notably Adam Scott at

4823-466: The distinction between amateurs and professionals is rigorously maintained. An amateur who breaches the rules of amateur status may lose said status. A golfer who has lost their amateur status may not play in amateur competitions until amateur status has been reinstated; a professional may not play in amateur tournaments unless the Committee is notified, acknowledges and confirms the participation. It

4914-410: The early 1990s, but despite tour policies having been found to be in violation of antitrust laws, no further action was taken. In August 2022, 11 players who had joined LIV Golf filed an antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour to challenge their suspensions. Three players failed to obtain a temporary restraining order to allow them to participate in the FedEx Cup playoffs. The trial for the main case

5005-673: The end of September. The schedule was tweaked slightly in both 2008 and 2009. After the third FedEx Cup playoff event, the BMW Championship , the Tour takes a full week off. In 2008, the break came before the Ryder Cup, with the Tour Championship the week after that. In 2009, the break was followed by the Tour Championship, with the Presidents Cup taking place two weeks after that. 2007 saw the introduction of

5096-465: The final details received a minor tweak, effective for the 2013 season only, on September 11. First, the 2013 season was the last to be conducted entirely within a calendar year. Since the 2014 season, the season starts in October of the previous calendar year, shortly after the Tour Championship. The tournaments in the now season-opening Fall Series are awarded full FedEx Cup points. As a result of

5187-663: The final round. In 1982, he teamed with Don January to shoot 27-under-par to win the rain-shortened 54-hole Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf event at Onion Creek Club "The Birthplace of the Senior PGA Tour" in Austin, 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) at The Homestead in Hot Springs, Virginia . In 1986, Snead wrote

5278-440: The focal members of today's PGA of America. Originally the "Tournament Players Division", it adopted the name "PGA Tour" in 1975 and runs most of the week-to-week professional golf events on the tournament known as the PGA Tour, including The Players Championship , hosted at TPC Sawgrass ; the FedEx Cup , with its finale at The Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club ; and the biennial Presidents Cup . The remaining events on

5369-531: 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 the Meadow Brook Club , earning a $ 10,000 prize. This gave him the money he needed to start playing professionally full-time. In 1944 he became resident playing professional at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia , and maintained ties to Hot Springs and The Homestead all of his life. During

5460-431: The late 1960s due to expanded television coverage, a dispute arose between the touring professionals and the PGA of America on how to distribute the windfall. The tour players wanted larger purses, where the PGA desired the money to go to the general fund to help grow the game at the local level. Following the final major in July 1968 at the PGA Championship , several leading tour pros voiced their dissatisfaction with

5551-425: The most recent increase in 2022, the maximum had been £500 or $ 750. The 2022 changes also significantly reduced the scope of competitions in which the prize limit applies. Before that time, the only competitions exempt from prize limits were hole in one contests. The 2022 changes took all competitions in which the player's score on a hole is not the primary goal, such as long drive and putting competitions, outside

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5642-421: The move of the Viking Classic into the regular season as an alternate event. The 2013 season , which was the last before the tour transitioned to a schedule spanning two calendar years, had 40 official-money events in 38 weeks, including three alternate events played the same week as a higher-status tournament. The other event that is considered part of the 2013 season is the biennial Presidents Cup , matching

5733-420: The next season is awarded at the end of the Finals. The 25 leading money winners during the Korn Ferry Tour regular season receive cards, and total money earned during the Finals determines the remaining 25 card earners. For all 50 new card earners, their positions on the PGA Tour's priority order for purposes of tournament are based on money earned in the Finals. College players who turn professional can enter

5824-427: The old Rule 35–1, 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: Sources: *Note: Tournament shortened to 18/54 holes due to weather. Professional golfer In golf,

5915-451: The oldest player (52 years, 10 months, and 8 days) to win on the PGA Tour (the Greater Greensboro Open). Snead played on seven Ryder 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. He captained the team in 1951, 1959, and 1969. In 1971, he won the PGA Club Professional Championship at Pinehurst Resort . In 1973 , Snead became

6006-489: 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 the Los 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 the 1974 PGA Championship to finish tied for third, three strokes behind winner Lee Trevino . At age 62, it

6097-587: The people they teach the game, and are educated to university level. Leading tournament golfers are very wealthy; upper class in the modern U.S. usage of the term. However, in some developing countries, there is still a class distinction. Typically, golf is restricted to a much smaller and more elite section of society than is the case in countries like the United States and the United Kingdom. Professional golfers from these countries are quite often from poor backgrounds and start their careers as caddies, for example, Ángel Cabrera of Argentina , and Zhang Lian-wei , who

6188-450: The points list, along with the top 75 on the money list of the Korn Ferry Tour at the end of that tour's regular season, are eligible to play a series of three tournaments in September known as the Korn Ferry Tour Finals . The Finals field, however, is not expected to consist of all 150 players, as some of the PGA Tour players will be exempt by other criteria, such as a tournament win in the previous two years. A total of 50 PGA Tour cards for

6279-440: 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." 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 the U.S. Open (the fourth time he would finish runner-up at

6370-434: 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 the quiz 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

6461-450: The rich, for pleasure. The early professionals were working-class men who made a living from the game in a variety of ways: caddying , greenkeeping, clubmaking, and playing challenge matches. When golf arrived in America at the end of the 19th century, it was an elite sport there, too. Early American golf clubs imported their professionals from Britain. It was not possible to make a living solely from playing tournament golf until some way into

6552-408: The schedule change, the qualifying school no longer grants playing rights on the PGA Tour, but only privileges on the Korn Ferry Tour . The criterion for retaining tour cards at the end of the season also changed. Through 2012, the top 125 players on the money list at the end of the PGA Tour season retained their tour cards. For the 2013 season only, the top 125 players on both the money list and

6643-633: The series after Snead's admission he recreated the result after the match officially ended as a Rudolph win. 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 ). Beginning in 1960, Snead hosted television's Celebrity Golf program, emceed by Harry von Zell , competing for charity in nine-hole contests against Hollywood celebrities like Dean Martin , Jerry Lewis and Bob Hope . Snead had appeared with Martin and Lewis in their 1953 comedy film, The Caddy . On February 7, 1962, at age 49, Snead won

6734-466: The series if their earnings are equivalent to a top-200 PGA Tour or top-75 Korn Ferry Tour finish. In addition, the leading money winners on the Korn Ferry Tour in both the regular season and Finals receive automatic invitations to The Players Championship (note that if a golfer tops both money lists, only one Players invitation is awarded). Finally, two events held in Asia after the end of

6825-700: The tour as a separate entity coming much later. By 1916, several prestigious golf tournaments offering prize money to the winner had been established in America, including the North and South Open , the Metropolitan Open , the Shawnee Open , the Western Open and the national championship, the U.S. Open . They formed the initial schedule of what came to be known much later as the "PGA Tour", with

6916-522: The traditional 30 for the Tour Championship. Additional FedEx Cup points are earned in these events. At the end of the championship, the top point winner is the season champion. To put this new system into place, the PGA Tour has made significant changes to the traditional schedule. In 2007, The Players Championship moved to May so as to have a marquee event in five consecutive months. The Tour Championship moved to mid-September, with an international team event ( Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup ) following at

7007-422: 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. While Chick Harbert , who was playing with Snead, thought the ball was out of bounds, a rules official ruled differently due to the starter not telling players the stakes had been moved after

7098-550: The venue and the abundance of club pros in the field. The increased friction resulted in a new entity in August, what would eventually become the PGA Tour. Tournament players formed their own organization, American Professional Golfers, Inc. (APG), independent of the PGA of America. Its headquarters were in New York City. After several months, a compromise was reached in December: the tour players agreed to abolish

7189-472: The week after the Tour Championship. Then, as in 2008, it took a week off, this time for the Presidents Cup. It then continued with events in three consecutive weeks, took another week off for the HSBC Champions (now elevated to World Golf Championships status), and concluded the week after that. The Fall Series was reduced to four events, all held after the Tour Championship, for 2011. This followed

7280-456: 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. The United States Golf Association banned this technique in 1968 by amending

7371-859: The winter, he was a resident playing pro at the Boca Raton Resort from 1956 to 1969. Each spring he returned to the Mid-Atlantic, stopping at The Masters Tournament on his way back to The Greenbrier. Snead served in the U.S. Navy during World War II from 1942 to 1944. He was an athletic specialist in Cmdr. Gene Tunney 's program in San Diego , and was given a medical discharge for a back injury in September 1944. Snead appeared as himself in an episode of The Phil Silvers Show , "The Colonel Breaks Par", in 1957. His nephew, J. C. Snead ,

7462-718: Was PGA Golfer of the Year. Snead was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1973. In 1986, Snead was inducted into the Middle Atlantic PGA Hall of Fame. Snead was also inducted into the PGA of America Hall of Fame and the Helms Hall of Fame. Snead received the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998. In 2009, Snead was inducted into the inaugural class of the West Virginia Golf Hall of Fame and in 2016, Snead

7553-492: Was Snead's third consecutive top-10 finish at the PGA Championship , but his last time in contention at a major. In 1978, he won the first Legends of Golf event, which was the impetus for the creation, two years later , of the Senior PGA Tour, now the Champions Tour . In 1979 , he was the youngest PGA Tour golfer to shoot his age (67) in the second round of the 1979 Quad Cities Open . He shot under his age (66) in

7644-767: Was also a successful professional golfer, winning tournaments on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour . In July 1936, Snead won his first tournament, the West Virginia Closed Pro, contested at The Greenbrier 's Championship Course and Old White Course. He shot rounds of 70–61 to rout Logan, West Virginia professional, Clem Wiechman by 16 strokes (74-73). The following month, he won the first of 17 West Virginia Open championships by beating Art Clark by five strokes at Guyan Country Club in Huntington, West Virginia . In 1937, Snead's first full year on

7735-489: 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". His scoring average of 69.23 was a Vardon Trophy record that stood for 50 years. In 1952, Snead won ten events including the Masters . At the Jacksonville Open , Snead forfeited rather than play an 18-hole playoff against Doug Ford after

7826-443: Was introduced in 2007. In its inaugural year, its events were held in seven consecutive weeks, starting the week after the Tour Championship. As was the case for the FedEx Cup playoff schedule, the Fall Series schedule was also tweaked in 2008 and 2009. The first 2008 Fall Series event was held opposite the Ryder Cup, and the Fall Series took a week off for the Tour Championship before continuing with its remaining six events. In 2008,

7917-546: Was joined by Gene Sarazen , and until 2001, by Byron Nelson . In 2000, Snead was ranked the third greatest golfer of all time, in Golf Digest magazine's rankings, behind only Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan . Snead died in Hot 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

8008-528: Was reported that the US Department of Justice was investigating the PGA Tour to determine if it engaged in anti-competitive behavior with LIV Golf . In late 2021, the PGA Tour had begun speaking with White House officials and members of Congress to express concerns over LIV Golf. The tour paid over $ 400,000 to the firm DLA Piper to lobby lawmakers on their behalf for various topics including LIV Golf proposals. The tour had previously been investigated in

8099-408: Was scheduled to begin in September 2023. On June 6, 2023, the PGA Tour, PGA European Tour , and LIV Golf announced that they would enter into an agreement to merge their commercial rights into a single, for-profit entity. The Saudi Public Investment Fund —which funded LIV Golf—will initially serve as the "exclusive investor" in the entity and have right of first refusal for future investments, while

8190-559: 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." Snead was the PGA leading money winner in 1938, 1949 and 1950. He won the Vardon Trophy , for lowest scoring average, four times: 1938, 1949, 1950, and 1955. In 1949, he

8281-649: Was the unanimous top choice for inclusion in the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame's inaugural class. Born in Ashwood, Virginia , near Hot Springs , Snead began caddying at age seven at The 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. During the depression, Snead taught himself

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