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Snead captured victory despite high score
Posted: Saturday April 06, 2002 7:56 PM
Updated: Sunday April 07, 2002 5:07 PM
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Sam Snead (center) talks golf with the Duke of Windsor in the clubhouse at Augusta National Golf Club on April 4, 1952. Snead won his second Masters that year. AP |
By John Boyette
The Augusta Chronicle
Sam Snead won his first Masters Tournament in 1949, closing with a pair of 67s.
He won his third green jacket in 1954, besting rival Ben Hogan in a thrilling 18-hole playoff.
Snead's second victory at Augusta National Golf Club was far less impressive, at least in the eyes of the local media.
"Sam Snead carried off the Masters Tournament's biggest pot of gold in history yesterday with a 286 that was the worst winning score the tournament has ever had," Randy Russell wrote in his 1952 account for The Augusta Chronicle.
Maybe Snead's total was the highest at the time, and maybe his closing 72 was not as brilliant as some of his previous efforts.
But for Snead, the $4,000 prize money for first place was a lot better than what had happened the previous year. Tied for the lead after 54 holes, he skied to an 80 in the final round to drop into a tie for eighth place. The collapse opened the door for Hogan to win his first Masters.
A case can be made that Snead won the tournament in the second round with a 5-under-par 67, which matched the low score for the entire tournament. Coupled with his opening-round 70, Snead alone held the 36-hole lead.
That quickly changed Saturday, when he posted a 77 that left him tied with Hogan for the lead. The two men weren't paired the final day, with Snead going out ahead of Hogan.
Snead played the front nine in 1-over fashion, but he played the back nine in 1-under for his 72. The back nine was not without adventure - he made birdies on Nos. 10, 13 and 18, and he made bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12.
On the par-3 12th, Snead saved bogey after hitting into the water, pitching onto the fringe and sinking a chip shot.
"I dropped back on a spot with no more grass than there is hair on top of my head," Snead said of his penalty drop. After chipping in, he said, "I figured then that I still had a chance to win."
With a stiff breeze blowing on the final day, Snead's 72 was bettered by only three players. The average score for the field that day was 76.8 strokes. Even Hogan struggled, shooting a 79 to drop into a tie for seventh.
With the tough weekend conditions, Snead finished as the only man below par for 72 holes. Jack Burke Jr., with a 69 on Sunday, finished four strokes back in second place.
"I've never seen the course in such good condition," Snead said when asked about the high scores. "There was more grass on the fairways than I've ever seen before."
The 1952 Masters also was memorable for the start of one of the tournament's most famous traditions. After winning in 1951, Hogan suggested that previous champions gather for a dinner each year.
The Masters Club, now known as the Champions Dinner, was born.
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