Sam Snead (“Slammin Sam”) was blessed with a beautifully smooth swing. He still holds the record of 84 victories on the PGA Tour and a further 80 worldwide. Amazingly the US Open always eluded him - he finished second four times between 1937 and 1949. The son of a poor Virginian backwoods farmer, Snead lived a childhood typical of any boy growing up amidst the heavily wooded Virginian mountains. Days were spent hunting, fishing and in Snead's case, caddying at the local resort hotel in order to supplement his family's income. Snead's older brother, Homer, was a fan of golf so he decided to try it. To his surprise, he found the technicalities quite easy to master. However his boyhood dream of being a football star held form and it was only when a back injury forced him to re-assess his ambition that Snead began considering the prospect of a golfing career.

 In 1979, he became the first player to score below his age; he shot 67 and 66 in the Quad Cities Open at the age of 67. Other notable achievements include victories in the Masters in 1949, 1952 and 1954 plus the PGA Championship in 1942, 1949 and 1951. Eight times on the Ryder Cup squad, once as non-playing captain.  Two years after retiring from the Tour in 1979, he was actively involved in the creation of the Senior Tour, now known as the Champions Tour.

A true collectors prize, this image is only available through Classic Golf Images. It comes with an embossed stamp from AP along with a "Certificate of Authenticity" and a nameplate about the photo.