Union University Athletics

Sam was born in Nashville, Tennessee but grew up in Collierville. He graduated from Collierville High School in 1992. Sam's arrival on the Union campus was one of the key reasons the golf team won the Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference each of his four years. The squad also swept the Tennessee Intercollegiate Tournament those same four years.

During his senior season Sam was named to six different all-tournament teams. He was instrumental in leading the Bulldog golf team to an eighth place finish in the NAIA National Tournament. Sam was named to the NAIA All-American teams in 1994 and 1996.

After graduation, he played on the professional mini tour for two years while completing his MBA degree from Union. The Class A PGA professional competed in the 1999 Fed Ex St. Jude Classic and in the 2010 Chattanooga Classic on the Nationwide Tour.

After playing professionally, he turned his love of the game to teaching golf. While cultivating his own teaching style, he worked under Golf Digest Top 50 Instructors Rob Akins, Tom Ness, Mark Wood, Randy Smith and Stan Utley. In 2004 and 2008 Sam was awarded the golf Teacher of the Year for West Tennessee. He is currently ranked in the top 40 under age 40 teachers in the country by Golf Digest Magazine. For the past 12 years he has taught golf at Ridgeway Country Club in Memphis.

In 2002 Sam obtained his general contractors license and builds custom homes.

Sam and his wife Missy have four sons: Seth, Gabe, Luke and Drew.