Without doubt, Sam Snead was the most naturally gifted athlete among golfers of his generation. He could run the 100-yard dash in 10 seconds flat in high school and well into his 70s he could kick the top of a 7-foot door from a standstill. Small wonder, then, that this hillbilly known as “The Slammer” from the mountains of Virginia was able to win a record 82 PGA TOUR events in a career that spanned four decades.

Snead grew up on a cow and chicken farm outside Hot Springs, Va., and became enamored of the game as he watched his brother, Homer, hit balls across their fields. He began caddying at The Homestead and moved to the nearby Greenbrier in 1935 as its playing professional. Although Snead won more than 140 times worldwide, he never strayed far from his Virginia roots. Known for his trademark straw hat, he once played nine holes at the 1942 Masters barefoot as he tried to regain that smooth swing and steady rhythm that was the benchmark of his game.

Snead won seven major championships, including three Masters, three PGA Championships and one British Open. He was runner-up in four U.S. Opens—including in 1947 when he missed a 30-inch putt on the final hole of a playoff with Lew Worsham—but could never win his own national championship.

Snead played on seven Ryder Cup teams, led the PGA TOUR money list three times and was a four-time winner of the Vardon Trophy. His finest season was in 1950 when he won 11 times. Perhaps Snead’s greatest legacy, though, was his longevity. He finished among the top four at two PGA Championships when he was in his 60s, and he shot his age of 67 in the second round of the 1979 Quad Cities Open.

But Snead is most identified with the Greater Greensboro Open which he won eight times in four different decades. So beloved was Snead in Greensboro that fans were known to kick his ball back out of the rough. His final win there came in 1965 when he was 52 years, 10 months and eight days old—and he remains the oldest winner on the PGA TOUR. His 27-year span between his first and last wins in Greensboro is also a TOUR mark. The tournament trophy is now named in his honor.

--By Helen Ross, PGATOUR.COM Chief of Correspondents

Five Most Notable Wins:

1954 Masters Snead’s third green jacket was his most memorable, and for obvious reasons: He beat Ben Hogan in a playoff (70-71). “I can remember that Masters,” Snead said 40 years later. “I can put the flags in every green. I can tell you what Hogan had on each hole, how many putts he had on each hole, how many greens he hit.”

1949 Masters Snead closed with rounds of 67-67—among Masters winners, only Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player shot lower scores over the last 36 holes—to win by three shots and claim the first green jacket handed out by Augusta National.

1946 British Open Snead didn’t play in his first Open championship until he was 34, and only then because of contractual ties to a sponsor. He went through four caddies that week at St. Andrews, but won his only Claret Jug by four shots over Bobby Locke and Johnny Bulla.

1965 Greater Greensboro Open Snead became the oldest winner—and still is—on the PGA TOUR when he cruised to a five-shot victory here for a record eighth title in this event. Snead—who was 52 years, 10 months and 8 days—won for the 82ndand final time on the PGA TOUR.

1978 Legends of Golf Although he teamed with Gardner Dickinson to win this made-for-TV match against Julius Boros-Roberto de Vicenzo, the play was so stellar this performance helped launch the Champions Tour.

--By Craig Dolch, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

Three Facts You May Not Know About Snead:

1. His nickname on tour was Nudie. It referred to his seriously receding hairline.

2. His first job as a pro at Cascades paid whatever lessons he taught, plus a sandwich and glass of milk for lunch.

3. In 1942, he went through his WWII draft physical, but put off induction until the following Monday so he could play in the PGA Championship, which he won, 2 and 1, over Jim Turnesa.

--By Melanie Hauser, PGATOUR.COM Contributor

One Number that Defines his Career: 11

Snead won a career-high 11 times in 1950. Granted, that’s seven shy of Byron Nelson’s record 18 wins in 1945 but no one has won more in a season since Snead’s signature year. The closest anyone has come is nine—by Tiger Woods in 2000 and Vijay Singh in 2004.

Major's Won Over the Course of his Career:

MASTERS (3)

1949

1952

1954

U.S. OPEN (0)

BRITISH OPEN (1)

1946

PGA CHAMPIONSHIP (2)

1942

1949

1951