Samuel Palmer Saunders (born July 30, 1987) is an American professional golfer and the grandson of Arnold Palmer.[1][2]
| Sam Saunders | |
|---|---|
| Personal information | |
| Full name | Samuel Palmer Saunders |
| Born | July 30, 1987 Orlando, Florida |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12.5 st) |
| Sporting nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Fort Collins, Colorado Atlantic Beach, Florida |
| Career | |
| College | Clemson University |
| Turned professional | 2009 |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour Korn Ferry Tour |
| Best results in major championships | |
| Masters Tournament | DNP |
| PGA Championship | DNP |
| U.S. Open | T50: 2015 |
| The Open Championship | DNP |
Early years
editBorn and raised in Orlando, Florida, Saunders parents are Roy and Amy (Palmer) Saunders;[3] his mother Amy is the younger daughter of Arnold and Winnie Palmer.[4][5][6][7] Saunders attended high school at Trinity Prep in Winter Park.[8] As a senior, he won his second club championship at Bay Hill Club and Lodge by seventeen strokes, which earned him an invitation to the 2006 PGA Tour event hosted by his grandfather.[3] He attended Clemson University in South Carolina, and skipped his senior season to turn pro.[9]
Professional career
editIn 2011, he played a total of 13 events – eight on the PGA Tour, with a best finish of 15th at Pebble Beach – and the Nationwide Tour, where he finished tenth in Panama. That same year, Saunders made it to the final stage of the tour's qualifying school, but finished tied for 109th and did not earn a PGA Tour card. Saunders finished 50th on the 2012 Web.com Tour season in his first full professional season.
Saunders played on the Web.com Tour in 2014 after earning his tour card through qualifying school.[9] He finished 13th in the Web.com Tour Finals to earn his PGA Tour card for the 2015 season. On September 29, 2017, he shot 59 in the first round of the Web.com Tour Championship, including a 6 birdie finish.[10] In the 2017–18 PGA Tour season, Saunders earned $981,936 and placed 120th in the FedEx Cup standings. In the 2018–19 PGA Tour season, Saunders earned $413,887 and placed 173rd in the FedEx Cup standings.[9]
In August 2019, Saunders suffered a compound fracture of the clavicle that was incurred in a motorized skateboard accident. Saunders stated he expected to be out for 4–6 months.[11]
In August 2024, Saunders announced his retirement from professional golf.[12]
Personal life
editSaunders and his wife Kelly were married in 2012 and reside in Atlantic Beach, Florida, with their sons, Cohen and Ace [1][13]
Playoff record
editPGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015 | Puerto Rico Open |  Alex Čejka,  Jon Curran, Emiliano Grillo, Tim Petrovic
|
Čejka won with birdie on first extra hole |
Korn Ferry Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2023 | Panama Championship | Pierceson Coody, Mac Meissner
|
Coody won with birdie on first extra hole |
Results in major championships
edit| Tournament | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | ||||||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | T50 | ||||||
| The Open Championship | ||||||||
| PGA Championship |
| Tournament | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | |
| PGA Championship | |
| U.S. Open | CUT |
| The Open Championship |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b Crouse, Karen (March 19, 2015). "Sam Saunders, a descendant of a King of Golf, carves his own path". New York Times. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- ^ Sobel, Jason (March 17, 2016). "Saunders finally embracing grandfather Arnold Palmer". ESPN. Retrieved October 4, 2016.
- ^ a b "Bay Hill invite for Palmer's grandson". Daily News. (Kingsport, Tennessee). Reuters. March 13, 2006. p. 11.
- ^ Ryan, Jack (June 10, 1962). "Arnold Palmer – the winningest man in golf". Family Weekly. p. 11.
- ^ "Arnold Palmer's wife dies". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. November 22, 1999. p. 3C.
- ^ "Fantastic Arnold Palmer rated legend and outstanding personality in sports". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. March 31, 1963. p. 42.
- ^ "Arnie Palmer has troubles and his Army wants to help". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. June 8, 1969. p. 63.
- ^ "Palmer teams with grandson for golf event". Free Lance-Star. (Fredericksburg, Virginia). Associated Press. December 6, 2003. p. B4.
- ^ a b c "Sam Saunders profile". PGA Tour. Retrieved August 25, 2019.
- ^ "Sam Saunders, grandson of Arnold Palmer, shoots 59 on Web.com Tour". ESPN. September 28, 2017.
- ^ "Sam Saunders on Instagram: "Sorry I haven't posted anything in a long time and this isn't exactly the post I want to be sharing, but I wanted my friends and fans to…"". Instagram. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
- ^ Leonard, Tod (August 17, 2024). "Arnold Palmer's grandson Sam Saunders says he's retiring from pro game". Golf Digest. Retrieved August 18, 2024.
- ^ Silvy, Tyler (December 29, 2013). "Arnold Palmer's grandson, Fort Collins resident playing his best golf when it matters most". Fort Collins Coloradoan.
External links
edit- Sam Saunders at the PGA Tour official site
- Sam Saunders at the Official World Golf Ranking official site