Latest news with #SamSnead
Daily Record
5 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
What 18 elite golf stars think of Oakmont as brutal 125th US Open venue set to be nastier than ever
Commentary past and present offers insight into brutal test of the 125th US Open Brutal. Arduous and the toughest test in golf. The 125th US Open at Oakmont promises to be another week to break games and minds. Sam Snead once quipped that he tried to mark his ball with a coin on one of the course's infamous marble-top greens and it slid off. No first cut from tightened fairways into juicy rough as high as five inches where a shoe could be lost and a track which has been lengthened again make for a typically-imposing test at the 10th staging of the event at the course. Angel Cabrera's winning score at the 2007 US Open at Oakmont was five-over par and, although Dustin Johnston finished at four-under when coming out on top the last time, course alterations made ahead of this year's showpiece mean that's highly-unlikely to be bettered in 2025. It takes an exceptional talent to get it done. Since the Second World War, all six champions at Oakmont, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Johnny Miller, Larry Nelson, Ernie Els and Angel Cabrera, have won more than a single Major with a combined total of 34. At the 2016 US Open, 14 of the 18 holes averaged over par. Oakmont's par-three eighth is being lined-up to play at over 300 yards. It's a daunting test and, from the past and the present, the biggest names in the game haven't hidden their feelings on the severity of the challenge and Record Sport has taken a look at some of the best. Open champion Xander Schauffele has heard this year's whispers: 'I've heard Oakmont is, from several players, the hardest course they've ever played. "Just it's long and the rough is impossible and you can end up hitting 50-yard pitches trying to get up-and-down for par on every hole, something of that nature.' Masters winner Bubba Watson during the 2007 slog: 'It's a real test of golf, all the way through. Just walking through the parking lot is tough.' Viktor Hovland on the par three eighth hole in 2025: 'I just think all the best par threes are under 200. As soon as you start to take head covers off on par threes, I just think it gets a little silly.' Rory McIlroy on his feelings ahead 2016 challenge: 'It's definitely not excitement. You know you're going to be put under a lot of pressure on basically every single shot. You have to be prepared for how mentally demanding it's going to be, how much concentration you're going to need out there. It's the toughest test in golf and you know that.' Ian Poulter after a gruesome Friday in 2007: 'There is no point bitching and moaning that it is a difficult golf course because it is a tough golf course and it is not supposed to be easy.' Former US Open champ Jordan Spieth: 'I know that if you win a US Open at Oakmont, you can go ahead and say that you've conquered the hardest test in all of golf because this is arguably the hardest course in America day-to-day,' Ryder Cup star and McIlroy's putting coach Brad Faxon: 'I always say the three hardest courses in America start with Oak. Oakmont, Oakland Hills and Oak Hill. But Oakmont is above and beyond the hardest course I've ever played.' Lee Trevino past statement on the brutal nature of the test: 'There's only one course in the country where you could step out right now, right now, and play the US Open and that's Oakmont.' Justin Thomas after a visit for a 2025 practice round: 'I actually went to Oakmont. It's still tough. I would say all of the rumours and everything are pretty on point.' Tiger Woods ahead of his task in 2007: 'That golf course is going to be one of the toughest tests that we've ever played in a US Open, especially if it's dry, it will be unreal because those greens are so severe. It's a great test. Overall, I'd say it's a lot harder than Augusta National.' Phil Mickelson ahead of his 2016 bid: 'I love a quote that Stephen Hawking says: Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change. The hardest course we've ever played.' Shane Lowry recounts his first visit: 'My coach was with me and we teed off on the 10th. We got around to the 14th, which is up beside the clubhouse, and I walked in. And I sat there in the locker room going, I have no idea how I'm going to play golf around this place.' Jack Nicklaus on the par three eighth in 2025: 'Well that's crazy. But that's what they do. I think it's a very difficult thing to have a hole where you're standing back hitting a wood at a par three.'Sergio Garcia during his title chase nine years ago: 'It's definitely the toughest golf course I've ever played. There's no doubt about that. We know how difficult the US Open is and, here at Oakmont, it's even tougher. Physically, at the end, I could feel my legs tightening up a little bit.' Bryson DeChambeau on the length of the track: 'It's a bomber's paradise, so, hopefully, I can drive it well again and putt well and give myself a good chance.' Justin Rose on his last visit to Oakmont US Open: 'I remember it being a classic old course, incredibly difficult, bunkers being amazingly deep. Ball striking is at a premium like most US Opens. Obviously there has been some varying set ups of late in the US Open, but this is back to the traditional type golf course.' Colin Montgomerie, who lost an Oakmont play-off in 1994, gave his assessment to Sky in 2016: 'This place is probably the most difficult ofthe US Open courses and the USGA pride themselves in making this the hardest test of them all. We have to remember that, when Angel Cabrera won here last time, the winning score was five over and only six players broke 10 over all week.' Ernie Els, who won in 1994 win at Oakmont: 'It's a magnificent golf course, definitely in my all-time top three in the world. But it's incredibly tough, it's the ultimate examination of your game.'
The Herald Scotland
27-05-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Fine margins as Ferguson and Fyfe miss out on a double Scotch
There are, of course, plenty of things you can try to do to aid this infernal process of hitting a small ball with a stick. The great Sam Snead, for instance, would often hum The Blue Danube to maintain a delightfully smooth motion of impeccable timing. As for me? Well, as I shoogle into the address position, while trying to remember the sage advice that I should 'swivel canny and keep yer ee on the erse o' the ba'', the increasingly flustered nature of golf at my level doesn't really lend itself to the measured cadences of a Strauss waltz. It's more like the pandemonium of the theme tune that accompanied the closing slap-stick chase in The Benny Hill Show. So, let's move on to folk with a bit of natural flair for this game, shall we? At the weekend, there was hope that we would get to savour a double-whammy of Scottish successes on the DP World Tour and the HotelPlanner Tour, formerly the Challenge Tour, as Ewen Ferguson and Calum Fyfe both assumed command in the Soudal Open and the Danish Golf Challenge respectively after 54-holes. In fact, when Robert MacIntyre muscled his way into contention during round three of the Charles Schwab Challenge on the PGA Tour over in the US, we probably got a trifle greedy and thought the tartan lads would knock off a triple crown. In the end, of course, we ended up with nowt. Ferguson, leading by two with 18-holes to play in Belgium, watched his par-putt on the last to win a fourth tour crown lip out and he was vanquished in a three-man play-off. Fyfe, meanwhile, saw his three-shot overnight lead gobbled up by Jonathan Goth-Rasmussen. Despite a valiant brace of birdies on the last two holes, the Glasgow man was pipped to a maiden title on the second-tier circuit by a shot. Disappointment is par for the course in this game. Fyfe's loss, in particular, was a mighty shame. Just a couple of weeks after the death of his mother, there was a great poignancy to his brave title tilt. Hopefully, opportunity will come knocking again for the spirited 27-year-old who earned his stripes with wins on the now defunct PGA EuroPro Tour and Paul Lawrie's Tartan Pro Tour in recent seasons. Fyfe's golfing journey has been one of drive, determination and resilience, which are just some of the valuable attributes you need to have a chance of making a decent fist of it in this ruthless old business. Back in 2017, he won the Scottish amateur order of merit, despite having to limit his outings due to funding issues. With his mum seriously ill at the time, there was plenty of domestic anguish to deal with too, but Fyfe's resolve and ambition would remain undiminished. Golf may be a very individual pursuit but it's hard to make it on your own. Not everybody gets a helping hand, but Fyfe was fortunate to earn the support of the Golfing 4 Life programme, a philanthropic initiative designed to aid talented golfers who face financial constraints. That programme was co-founded by Jimmy Byers and the well-kent music guru, Bill Curbishley. Among his many famous clients, Curbishley managed the affairs of rock giants, The Who. Apparently, there's no truth in the rumour that Roger Daltrey's iconic scream in the song 'Won't Get Fooled Again' was recorded during a company golf outing when he three-putted from six-feet. In a conversation with this scribe a few years ago, the aforementioned Byers spoke enthusiastically of Fyfe's talents and character. 'He wants to win, he's hungry as hell and he's a little terrier,' he said of the softly spoken father of two. Those qualities will stand him in good stead. In a professional scene of daunting strength in depth across the spectrum, winning, at any level, is hellishly difficult. Fyfe is well aware of that. His sturdy overnight advantage evaporated with three bogeys on his first eight holes of the closing round. To his credit, Fyfe covered his last six holes in four-under to keep himself in the thick of it when he could've easily slithered out of the picture. To Goth-Rasmussen's credit, meanwhile, the Dane birdied his last hole to pinch the prize by a fine margin. Fyfe's runners-up finish hoisted him up to 15th place on the HotelPlanner Tour rankings. We're only a third of the way through the season but his push for promotion to the DP World Tour has been given a significant lift, despite the disappointment of defeat. The cut-and thrust of the Challenge Tour – sorry, I still can't get used to calling it the wonderfully bland HotelPlanner Tour – continues to provide a tremendously thorough apprenticeship 'I always knew I had the game to compete on here,' he said after Saturday's third round. On this proven breeding ground, Fyfe continues to prove his worth. And look at that? You've reached the bottom of this page again. Another meaningless task of everyday life is complete.
Irish Times
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
In golf, as in global politics, the ‘gimme' is more psychological warfare than sporting gesture
Donald Trump invoked the great Sam Snead on Monday when he compared taking ownership of a $400 million jet, a gift from Qatar , to a 'gimme' in golf. Using a golfing metaphor to explain his take on foreign policy was probably a first even for the US president. 'There was an old golfer named Sam Snead, did ever you hear of him?' Trump asked reporters. 'He was a great golfer, he won 82 tournaments, and he had a motto: When they give you a putt, you pick up your ball, say 'Thank you very much' and walk to the next hole. 'A lot of people are stupid. They say, 'No, no. I insist on putting it'. Then they putt it, they miss it. And their partner gets angry at them. You know what, remember that. Sam Snead. When they give you a putt, you pick it up, you walk to the next hole and say, 'Thank you very much'.' Obviously, Snead, who won the PGA Championship three times between 1942 and 1951, had mixed views on conceding putts. The quote that comes nearest to what Trump referenced and is among Snead's top 25 quotes is: 'Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey and never concede a putt.' READ MORE Either way, Trump wrote the gimme into political history, even though it is not among golf's rules. There is no official rule in the game regarding the gimme putt and is up to a player's match play opponent to decide if the ball is so close to the hole that the chances of missing are slim. Sam Snead is pictured competing for the US in the 1953 Ryder Cup at Wentworth, Surrey. Photograph: Evening Standard/Getty There will be no gimmes at the US PGA this week in Quail Hollow as it is a stroke play event, but allowing an opponent in match play to pick up a ball that is maybe 18 inches from the hole speaks to the character of the game and to the character of the people playing. And it is not always pleasant. In the 2015 Solheim Cup , a match involving Europe's Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull against Brittany Lincicome and Alison Lee, was all square on the 17th green. Petterson and Hull both missed their birdie putts to leave Lee with an a 12-footer to take the USA 1-up with one to play. Her effort rolled 18 inches past the hole and, with Pettersen and Hull apparently making their way towards the 18th tee, the American picked up her ball for the half, assuming the putt had been given. Rookie error. Pettersen didn't see it that way. Suzann Pettersen tries to explain to her captain, Carin Koch, left, the length of putt that she did not concede to Alison Lee on the 17th green at the 2015 Solheim Cup. Photograph: David Cannon/Getty The Norwegian pointed out that they had not conceded the putt and Lee was hit with a one-shot penalty. European captain Carin Koch, along with assistant Annika Sorenstam, attempted to convince Pettersen to change her mind, but it is not possible to concede a putt retroactively, so the decision stood. Pettersen and Hull eventually went on to win the 18th hole and take the match. In the 2024 President's Cup, a match between the US and the rest of the world, bruised egos and indignant stares were all on the menu. A fired-up Tom Kim, playing with Si Woo Kim, was asked to roll in a 3ft putt, to save par, by opponents Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. Kim made the putt, but after he retrieved his ball from the hole he demonstratively laid down his putter on the green to show how close the ball was to the cup, clearly miffed that the Americans had asked him to take it. He looked around, shrugged his shoulders and was still muttering about it as he walked off the green. Moving forward I am making Tom Kim putt EVERYTHING. 😁 — Lou Stagner (Golf Stat Pro) (@LouStagner) It has happened numerous times in the Ryder Cup . In 2021 at Whistling Straits Europe's Lee Westwood was left waiting at the sixth hole for a thumbs-up from the Americans that his short putt was good. But the same pair, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele, didn't flinch as an incredulous Westwood, known as a shaky putter, was forced to hole out. The reality is that acts of sportsmanship in conceding putts inside putter handle length can also become acts of gamesmanship whenever the stakes are high. The ambiguity of what is close enough or too far away to be given does move gimmes from a gesture of goodwill towards more of a tactical ploy and a form of psychological warfare. Gimme grievance can become a thing. Then again, a moment in golf so famous that it was named 'The Concession' took place at Royal Birkdale where Jack Nicklaus gave Tony Jacklin a two-foot putt on the 18th hole to end the 1969 Ryder Cup in a tie. That meant the US retained the cup and history has viewed the moment as one of epic sportsmanship and goodwill from Nicklaus. But it was a moment not viewed with such warmth when it happened, with many of Nicklaus' team-mates and captain Snead enraged at the act of generosity. Had Jacklin been made take the putt and missed it would have given the US an outright win. 'When it happened, all the boys thought it was ridiculous to give him that putt,' Snead would later say. Trump was probably right. Snead didn't seem like the kind to pass up on taking a gimme or a 747. Giving one, that's another matter.
National Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- National Post
Donald Trump misquotes golf legend Sam Snead in private jet justification
Article content CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There are plenty of private jets here in Charlotte for this week's PGA Championship, but it's a safe bet none of them were dished out like gimmes in a game of golf. Article content Article content 'They're giving us a free jet,' Trump said. 'I could say, no, no, no, don't give (it to) us, I want to pay you a billion, or $400 million, or whatever it is. Or I could say, 'Thank you very much.'' Article content News broke late last week that Qatar was interested in gifting Trump a uber-luxury Boeing 747 jet to use as Air Force One. Article content 'There was an old golfer named Sam Snead. Did you ever hear of him?' Trump began at a press conference on Monday. Article content 'He was a great golfer, he won 82 tournaments, and he had a motto,' Trump continued. 'When they give you a putt, you say, 'Thank you very much.' You pick up your ball, and you walk to the next hole. A lot of people are stupid. They say, 'No, no, I insist on putting it.' Then they putt it, they miss it and their partner gets angry at them.' Article content Trump with a Sam Snead golf Metaphor. The man knows ball… — PGA/LIV Hot Takes (@PGALIVHotTakes) May 12, 2025 Article content There will be no gimmes this week at Quail Hollow, as the tournament is a traditional 72-hole stroke play event, which means every putt has to be holed. But, in the early days of the PGA Championship — a tournament Slammin' Sam Snead won three times — the tournament included a match play format and there were indeed gimmes on the table. Article content Shockingly, there are a few things wrong with Trump's analogy. The first being the obvious one that a $400-million jet is slightly different than a one-foot putt. Article content The second being that once a putt is given in golf, it's given, period, end of story. It doesn't matter if you decide to try the putt and miss it. So the 'stupid people' in Trump's mind that 'insist on putting it' aren't costing them or their partner anything should they miss. Unless they are playing against Trump, perhaps. Article content Third, and most importantly, there appears to be no record of Snead ever uttering the quote Trump attributes to him. The quote Trump is perhaps mis-remembering actually has Snead saying he didn't like to give gimmes. Article content In his 1962 book The Education of the Golfer, Snead wrote the following: 'Some of the things I didn't have to be taught as a rookie travelling pro were to keep close count of my nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey and never concede a putt,' he wrote. Article content
Indian Express
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Trump gifted $400mn Boeing: Who is Sam Snead, golfer quoted by the US President?
Donald Trump said on Monday (May 12) that it would have been 'stupid' to say no to the gift of a $400-million Boeing 747 from the Qatari royal family for use as Air Force One, the aircraft of the President of the United States. 'I think it's a great gesture from Qatar. Appreciate it very much,' a report by ABC News quoted Trump as having said. 'I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I mean, I could be a stupid person and say, 'No, we don't want a free, very expensive airplane.' But it was, I thought it was a great gesture.' The President, who has been criticised for giving established norms of propriety in public office the go-by in accepting the expensive Qatari gift, went on to draw an analogy between his thinking and what he claimed was the philosophy of the former American professional golfer Samuel Jackson Snead. 'There was an old golfer named Sam Snead. Did you ever hear of him?' The New York Times quoted the President as saying. Snead, according to Trump, 'had a motto', which was: 'When they give you a putt, you say, 'Thank you very much.' You pick up your ball, and you walk to the next hole. A lot of people are stupid. They say, 'No, no, I insist on putting it.' Then they putt it, they miss it, and their partner gets angry at them.' 'Remember that,' Trump said, according to The NYT report. 'Sam Snead.' Sam Snead is considered one of the legends of golf, and is tied for the most wins on the PGA Tour (82) with Tiger Woods, including seven Majors. He was one of the leading players in the sport in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. He is said to have said: ''Keep close count of your nickels and dimes, stay away from whiskey, and never concede a putt.' Conceding a putt is a practice in Match Play golf, in prestigious events such as the Ryder Cup, when a player allows an opponent to pick up the ball when it is considered close enough to the hole for the next shot to be a formality. Snead was considered one of the Big Three of the Game in his time, along with Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan. He was known for his straw hat and folksy humour, and often used unorthodox methods to be effective in golf. He was said to be particular about his finances, probably one of the reasons why he didn't play the Open Championship across the Atlantic until 1946, when he was forced to tee up at St Andrews course (called the Home of Golf) due to contractual ties with a sponsor. He won the tournament but the winner's purse of $600 was pittance compared to what he spent on his four caddies and $2,000 in expenses. He was also sceptical about professional golf's financial viability in those days.
