He never had his own army, like Arnie.
He was never the "golden boy," like "Golden Bear" Jack Nicklaus.
And, needless to say, he never had the money or star-power of a Tiger Woods.
But when he died Thursday at age 89, "Slammin' " Sam Snead had something none of them did. He had 81 victories on the PGA tour — 11 more than Nicklaus and 21 more than Palmer.
He also had the sweetest swing in the history of the game. Many still consider him the best natural ball-striker ever.
Snead had his heyday in the 1950s, long before golf became a media and big money sport. For such reasons, many of his feats have gone under-appreciated. He was the first winner of the Masters to be fitted for a green jacket. That was in 1949. In 1950, Snead won 11 tournaments — a record that stands to this day. A Virginia country boy who learned to play the game of golf by using a sawed-off tree branch, Snead was a happy-go-lucky joker in an era of the gentleman golfer. His antics, in fact, would have suited him better for fame in this day and age. He loved to tell stories and he could chat for hours. What's more, he usually had good things to say.
"Hold that putter as if you were cradling a humming bird," he once told a young golfer.
It was the kind of advice he often gave, advice that stayed with the student for a lifetime.
Earlier this year, hobbled by ill health, Snead stuttered his way to the first tee at Augusta and — once again — hit the ceremonial first drive. It was his last national appearance before being felled by a series of small strokes.
He died peacefully among family. It wouldn't be surprising to learn his last words were clever ones.
In a half-century of playing competitive golf, Snead once said his one regret was never winning the U.S. Open. He won all the other majors, most more than once. But he never placed first at the Open. He said he thought about that fact every day of his life.
Now, with the U.S. Open ready to begin in June, it's a sure bet everyone there will have thoughts of Sam Snead.