Youngest player to shoot his age or better on the PGA Tour

Shooting your age in golf -- or better -- is one heck of a feat.

 

If a person shoots his or her age, it's going to be an impressive score whether it's in the 60s, 70s, 80s or 90s.

 

It got us wondering: which player in PGA Tour history was the youngest to shoot his age or below in an official event.

 

As it turns out, that player is one who owns many career records -- including most Tour wins (82) -- the legendary Sam Snead.

 

Snead became the youngest player in Tour history, and the first, to shoot his age or better first by firing a 3-under 67 in the second round of the 1979 Quad Cities Open at age 67 and then again two days later -- in the final round -- with a 4-under 66. 

 

RELATED: Oldest U.S. Open champions | Youngest U.S. Open champions | U.S. Open field list

 

A story in the New York Times following Snead's 66 proved that Slammin' Sam wasn't all that impressed with his record effort.

 

"I don't feel any different than I did 10 years ago," he said. "Except maybe a little heavier. When you get up around 67, most of them have either quit or are dead. There's not many of them still around."

 

Snead finished the tournament at 3-under-par 277, 11 strokes behind winner D.A. Weibring. 

 

Snead, who passed away on May 23, 2002 -- four days before what would have been his 90th birthday -- holds several PGA Tour records. Here are the six most notable:

 

- Most PGA Tour victories with 82

 

- Most PGA Tour victories at an event: 8 at the Greater Greensboro Open (1938, 1946, 1949, 1950, 1955, 1956, 1960, 1965). That was tied by Tiger Woods at the 2013 Arnold Palmer Invitational and 2013 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

 

- Oldest player to win a PGA Tour event: age 52 years, 10 months, 8 days at the 1965 Greater Greensboro Open.

 

- By winning the 1960 De Soto Open Invitational, Snead became the first player to win PGA Tour titles in four different decades (since matched by Raymond Floyd and Davis Love III).

 

- Oldest player to make the cut at a major: age 67 years, 2 months, 7 days at the 1979 PGA Championship.

 

- Snead is the only player to post a top-10 finish in at least one major in five different decades.