Slammin' Sam the only man with LPGA victory
- By Jason Sobel
- Feb 8, 2012 8:00 AM ET
Fifty years ago today, Sam Snead won his first and only LPGA title.
Yes, you read that correctly.
And no, Slammin’ Sam wasn’t harboring any deep secrets.
On Feb. 8, 1962, Snead prevailed in a 15-person field at the Royal Poinciana Plaza Invitational that consisted of himself and 14 players from the LPGA, including Mickey Wright, Patty Berg, Kathy Whitworth and Betsy Rawls.
In a two-day, four-round event at the Palm Beach Par-3 Golf Club, Snead posted a score of 5-under 211 to defeat Wright by five strokes.
He was credited with an unofficial LPGA victory – and to this day, remains the only male golfer to claim a title on the ladies’ tour.
Snead won “about $1,500” for taking first place, but it came with a price. According to a Palm Beach Post report, “The last three holes [of the opening round] were played with the knowledge that his expensive little inboard runabout boat was slowly sinking, just a wedge shot from the course, in Lake Worth.”
Snead also competed in the tournament one year earlier, losing by two strokes to Louise Suggs.
Sobel has covered golf since 2004 and provides columns, blogs, chats for Golf Channel.
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