Sam King

George Samuel "Sam" King (27 March, 1911 – 23 February, 2003) was an English professional golfer for 30 years, best known for playing on three Ryder Cup teams.

King was born in Sevenoaks, Kent, England, a short distance from the Knole Golf Club, and lived there most of his life. His father was a charcoal burner at the Knole House Estate. King became a caddy at the club as a boy, and learned to play. By 1929, he was the assistant club professional, and began playing in local and national tournaments. In his career, King had nine top-10 finishes at The Open Championship between 1939 and 1959.

King was a member of Great Britain's 1937, 1947, and 1949 Ryder Cup teams, including scoring his team's only point in 1947. He had qualified for the 1939 team, but the event was cancelled after the outbreak of World War II. During the war, he served in the Home Guard before returning to professional golf in 1946.

King became the head professional at Knole Golf Club in 1955, and later won the PGA Seniors Championship in both 1961 and 1962. He retired in 1976 and moved to Lincolnshire. [cite news|title=So Farewell Sam King 1911-2003|last=Nersessian|first=Mary|date=1 March 2003|publisher=The Independent (London)|url=http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20030301/ai_n12673059|accessdate=2007-03-24]

King died at age 91 in 2003, after being hospitalized for pneumonia. [cite web|title=Ryder Cup player King dead at 91|url=http://www.pga.com/news/rydercup/kingdies022403.cfm|author=PGA.com news services|date=February 24, 2003|accessdate=2007-03-24]

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