Brandt Snedeker

Lore & Background

Born in Nashville, Tennessee, to parents Larry and Candice Snedeker, Snedeker was introduced to golf by his maternal grandmother, who managed a golf course in West Plains, Missouri. He attended Harding Academy and Montgomery Bell Academy for high school. Snedeker graduated from Vanderbilt University, where he was initiated into Kappa Alpha Order by the Chi Chapter. He won the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 2003 before turning professional in 2004.

In Their Own Story

The air at Hazeltine in June 2009 carried the particular stillness of a Minnesota afternoon, that thick, pollen-heavy calm that settles over the fairways when the temperature hits ninety and the wind dies. Snedeker stood over a twenty-foot putt on the 16th, the mallet putter behind the ball, his shoulders barely moving. Mike Birk, three steps back, said nothing. There was no need. They'd been reading this course together for weeks, and Birk had already called the break in his head before Snedeker even looked down. The ball rolled. The flagstick trembled. The ball dropped with a soft, final click that seemed to pull the sound out of the crowd. Snedeker didn't celebrate. He just nodded, tucked the putter under his arm, and walked to the next tee with the same unhurried gait he'd used all week. Behind him, Birk exhaled a breath he'd been holding since the first tee. The Claret Jug was getting closer, and neither of them looked surprised.

Reader's Guide

Snedeker played on the Nationwide Tour from 2004 until 2006, earning a PGA Tour spot for 2007. He was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year in 2007 after winning the Wyndham Championship. He won his second PGA Tour title at The Heritage in 2011, beating Luke Donald in a playoff. In 2012, he won the Farmers Insurance Open and the FedEx Cup with a victory in the Tour Championship. He placed T3 in the 2012 Open Championship. In 2013, he began the season with three top three finishes in his first four tournaments, including third at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Did You Know?

• Snedeker shot a 59 in the first round of the 2018 Wyndham Championship, the tenth sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.
• He reached a career-high world ranking of No. 4 in February 2013 after winning the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.
• Snedeker's first PGA Tour win came at the 2007 Wyndham Championship, which also earned him Rookie of the Year honors.