IN 1949 SAM SNEAD ARRIVED IN AUGUSTA GEORGIA HOT OFF A PLAYOFF VICTORY IN THE GREENBORO'S OPEN. A TOURNAMENT THAT HE WOULD GO ON TO WIN 8 TIMES. HE FELT THAT HE WAS ON HIS WAY BACK TO CURING A PUZZLING AILMENT CALLED THE YIPS??? OR AS THEY SAY IN GREAT BRITAIN THE TWICHES AND WHAT OTHER PLACE CAN TEST YOU MORE THAN AUGUSTA NATIONAL THE GALLARY WARMED TO THE GREAT VIRGINIA NATIVE AS HE MADE A FINAL ROUND CHARGE SHOT A BRILLANT 67 AND WON BY 3 STROKES TO CLAIM HIS FIRST OF 3 GREEN JACKETS. AFTER HIS VICTORY HE RECEIVED A CONGRATULATORY PHONE CALL FROM A REVOVERING VAN HOGAN. IN 1952, DESPITE HITTING HIS T SHOT INTO THE WATER ON THE FAMED PAR 3 TWELVE HOLE IN THE FINAL ROUND HE WOULD ONCE AGAIN WIN THE MASTERS, IT WAS HIS 6TH OF 7 MAJOR CHAMPIONSHIPS, UNLESS THE OF COURSE NEXT YEAR THE 84 YEAR OLD YOUNGSTER DECIDES TO GIVE IT MORE ONE MORE SHOT AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL.
PETER KESSLER
SAM, HOW MUCH OF THE GOLF COURSE CHANGE OVER THE YEARS, THE SPEED OF THE GREENS FOR EXAMPLE AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL?
SAM SNEAD
WELL, THEY ARE VERY FAST. I THINK THAT THE LAST YEAR THAT I WON THE GREENS WERE AS FAST AS I HAVE EVER SEEN THEM.
PETER KESSLER
DID YOU GUYS PREFER THEM THAT FAST? YOU AND BEN AND BYRON AND ALL THE FELLOWS OF THAT TIME?
SAM SNEAD
NOT ME.
PETER KESSLER
WHY NOT?
SAM SNEAD
BUT YOU KNOW I PUT??? DO FAIRLY WELL, BECAUSE I WAS PLAYING IRON CLUBS WELL AND I WOULD TRY TO STAY BELOW THE HOLE. THE MNUTE YOU GET IT ABOVE THE HOLE YOU HAD SOME PROBLEMS.
PETER KESSLER
YOU, YOU SAID A LOT OF TIMES THAT YOU WEREN'T A GREAT PUTTER FROM 6 FEET AND IN AND HISTORY SHOW S THAT YOU HAVE BEEN A GREAT LAG??? PUTTER , BUT YOU COULDN'T HAVE MISSED TOO MANY WHEN IT COUNTED AND STILL WON ALMOST 200 GOLF TOURNAMENTS.
SAM SNEAD
WELL, MY PUTTING WAS UP AND DOWN, I KNOW IF I COULD HAVE SHOT 69 I WOULD HAVE WON 9 U.S. OPENS THE LAST ROUND. SO, I WOULD HAVE ONE GOOD ROUND OF PUTTING ONE SO-SO, BUT ALWAYS HAVE ONE THAT WAS, IT WAS AWFUL.
PETER KESSLER
HOW GOOD WAS HOGAN'S PUTTING WHEN HE WAS AT HIS BEST?
SAM SNEAD
WELL, HE WAS THE BEST OUT THERE I THINK WITH THE ONE.
PETER KESSLER
AMAZING, BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF HIM TODAY, WE THINK OF THE TIMES PAST HIS PRIME WHEN STARTED TO HAVE TROUBLE WITH THE PUTTER WHICH EVENTUALLY FORCED HIM OFF THE TOUR, HE WOULDN'T PLAY GOLF SO THAT PEOPLE COULDN'T SEE HIM HAVE TROUBLE PULL THAT BLADE BACK.
SAM SNEAD
WELL, HE PUTTED VERY WELL IN OUR PLAY OFF IN 54, AND ON THE 16TH HOLE WE WERE BOTH WITHIN 6 INCHES OF EACH OTHER AND I WAS THE WAY. AND WHEN I HIT MY FIRST PUT AND I SAID, `OH MY GOD, I MUST BE I'M 7 FEET PAST THE HOLE', AND IT ONLY WENT A FOOT PAST. AND I GOT OVER IT AND JUST READY TO STRIKE IT A GUY IN THE GALLARY ACROSS THE CREEK HOLLORED, `MISS IT!' EVERYBODY TURNED AROUND LOOKED AT HIM AND HE JUST MELTED RIGHT T DOWN TO THE GROUND AND I TAPPED MY IN. AND I TOLD MY CADDY, I SAID, `HE'LL NEVER GET THIS PUT TO THE HOLE.' AND HE LEFT ABOUT 5 FEET SHORT, AND THAT WAS THE ONLY SIGN THAT I SAW THAT HE WAS GOING TO GET THERE, THAT HE HIT A TERRIBLE PUT THERE WITH A LITTLE YAKEN??? SHORT RIGHT.
PETER KESSLER
LITTLE TWITCHES, HUH?
SAM SNEAD
BUT, ALL IN ALL HE AND I, WE WERE PARTNERS AND HE DIDN'T SAY VERY MUCH. WHEN WE WERE PLAYING OVER IN ENGLAND HE SAID, ` DAMN THAT ROBERTO DEMENZO???' I SAID,
PETER KESSLER
WHY DID HE SAY THAT?
SAM SNEAD
MEN JUST KEEP THE HEAT ON, I SAID, `YOU'LL GET IT' AND I PLAYED BETTER THAN HE DID AFTER THE FIRST FOUR HOLES EVERY ROUND. BUT HE COLLARED ME THE FIRST FOUR HOLES, SEEMED LIKE. BUT, AS I SAID HE DIDN' T TALK EVEN TO HIS PARTNER WAS JIMMY DEMERRIT???
PETER KESSLER
YOUR WAY, RIGHT?
SAM SNEAD
WELL I RESPECTED THAT, HE SAID, `HEY I CAN'T JUST `HEY MARY, HI JOE HOW'S THE KIDDIES?' HE JUST CAN'T DO THAT. I'M TRYING TO DO MY BEST FROM HERE TO THERE. AND I RESPECT HIM FOR THAT AND I WOULD NEVER WATCH HIM HIT THE SHOT, I WOULD WATCH HIM TEE UP GET HIS LITTLE WAGGLE??? SET THE CLUB DOWN AND THEN I WOULD LOOK DOWN THE FAIRWAY, WOULDN'T WATCH HIS SWING.
PETER KESSLER
`CAUSE IT WAS SO FAST, RIGHT?
SAM SNEAD
WELL HE SHORTENED UP HIS SWING CONSIDERABLE YOU KNOW THEY CALL HIM, HE SWINGS THE CLUB LIKE ALICE BOULER???WELL THE CLUB POINTED TO THE GROUND LIKE DAILY.
PETER KESSLER
WHEN HE WAS IN HIS 30'S, RIGHT?
SAM SNEAD
WELL
PETER KESSLER
OR IN THE 1930'S
SAM SNEAD
IT SEEMED ABOUT THE THIRD ROUND RED GREENGER??? WOULD POP UP, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS?
PETER KESSLER
77, YOU BET CHA
SAM SNEAD
77 THEN THEY WOULD RUN BY HIM. SO, HE DECIDED HE HAD TO CHANGE HIS SWING, GET A SWING THAT HE COULD RELY ON. AND COULD BE MORE CONTINOUS DOING THE SAME THING.
PETER KESSLER
AND HE WAS.
SAM SNEAD
HE WAS
PETER KESSLER
LET'S GO AHEAD AND TALK TO ONE OF OUR VIEWERS, WE'VE GOT BILL FROM GEORGIA WITH US. HELLO BILL.
BILL - CALLER
HI PETER, HOW ARE YOU?
PETER KESSLER
GOOD. HOW YOU DOING?
BILL - CALLER
GREAT! FANTASTIC SHOW IN OUR MOST HONORABLE SPORTS. MR. SNEAD IT'S AN HONOR TO BE IN YOUR COMPANY.
SAM SNEAD
THANK YOU.
BILL - CALLER
YOU SHOULD, IT SHOULD MAKE YOU FEEL VERY PROUD THAT NO ONE IS LIKELY TO EVER APPROACH YOUR CAREER EARNINGS. ONE QUESTION, IN THE 40'S AND 50'S, YOUR HAY DAY, WERE THERE ANY TALENTED SOUTH PAWS ON TOUR? OR ANY THAT COME TO YOUR MIND? THANK YOU, AND I WILL TALK TO YOU LATER.
PETER KESSLER
ANY GOOD LEFTIES IN THOSE DAYS?
SAM SNEAD
WELL THERE WERE A COUPLE OF THEM BUT THEY DIDN'T HANG AROUND TO LONG.
PETER KESSLER
DIDN'T YOU ONCE, IF I GOT THIS RIGHT, DIDN'T YOU PLAY WITH JUST YOUR LEFT HAND THREE ROUNDS IN 1945? OR 1946? I THINK AT THE HOMESTEAD AND SHOT 83, 82, 81. AND INCLUDED A HOLE IN ONE WITH THE THREE IRON?
SAM SNEAD
RIGHT.
PETER KESSLER
DID YOU DO THAT ON A BET?
SAM SNEAD
WELL I TELL YOU I WAS NURSING A RIGHT WRIST, I HAD SPLIT THE RADIUS AND I HAD A BANDAGE AROUND MY WRIST. THE DOCTOR SAID IF YOU PUT IT IN A CAST YOU COULD GET A SPUR AND THAT WOULDN'T BE GOOD, AND YOU WOULD WANT A LITTLE MOBILITY. AND THIS MAN I JUST FINISHED PRACTICING, PLAYING WITH MY DRIVER MATTER OF FACT WAS MY HARDEST TO PLAY WAS THE DRIVER, SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE EASIEST BUT IT WASN'T AND I JUST GOT THROUGH AND CAME DOWN TO THE SHOP AND A MAN CAME IN AND HE SAID, `IS THE PRO AROUND?' I WOULD LIKE A LESSON OR JUST PLAY A ROUND OF GOLF. 'NO, THEY ARE OUT PLAYING.' HE SAID, `GEEZ I WOULD LIKE TO PLAY IT', AND I SAID, `WOULD YOU MIND PLAYING WITH A ONE ARMED MAN?' AND HE SAID, `OH GEE, A ONE ARMED MAN?' AND I SAID WHAT DO YOU SHOOT?' AND HE SAYS ABOUT 85-90. WELL I THINK MAYBE I MIGHT BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU A GAME I SAID WELL I'M JUST PLAYING. I INTRODUCED MYSELF AS SAM AND HE WAS BILL. WHEN WE GOT TO THE 6TH HOLE THATS WHERE I HAD TO HOLD ONE WITH A 3 IRON, HE HAD HIT A 4 IRON. I HIT A 3 IRON AND HE THREW HIS 4 IRON ALMOST TO THE GREEN. HE SAID A ONE ARM MAN BEATIN' THE HELL OUT OF ME.
PETER KESSLER
HIT HIM WITH A HOLE IN ONE YET? WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A SHORT BREAK WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK WITH SLAMMIN' SAMMY SNEAD RIGHT AFTER THIS, DON'T GO AWAY.
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