Returning to form after an injury is never an easy feat, especially one that could flare up without any notice. Brandt Snedeker faced this challenge in 2017 when he experienced a pain in his chest.
PGA.com reported in 2017 that his injury is one typically seen in athletes in contact sports. The joint between the upper and lower sternum was the source of pain, and ultimately in July led to his withdrawal from the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
Since cautiously returning to the Tour in November 2017 at the RSM Classic, Brandt has been grinding on his game to return to top form. It is safe to say, he’s found his form.
Brandt Snedeker fired a four-day total of 259 (-21) to win the 2018 Wyndham Championship by 3 strokes over runners up, Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan.
A wire to wire win, Brandt made some noise in the opening round by shooting a 59. He became the ninth player in history to shoot a sub-60 round on the PGA Tour (Jim Furyk has 2 sub-60 rounds, including a 58, the lowest total ever).
Although he led after every round, Snedeker did not run away with the tournament. Pan found himself tied with Snedeker heading into the 72nd hole, but an errant tee shot shoved further right by an unkind bounce off the cart path that sent the shot out of bounds, effectively ending his chances at his first career Tour victory.
In the end it would not have mattered, Snedeker hit his tee shot on 18 just off the right side of the fairway before learning of Pan’s double bogey on the final hole, and proceeded to knock an iron onto the green and roll in a lengthy putt for birdie, winning the championship in style.
Brandt said it best about himself in his post-victory interview immediately following his first tour win in two years. When asked by CBS’ Amanda Balionis with the FedEx Cup playoffs looming if he felt he was peaking at the right time and if he felt he had a legitimate chance to repeat as FedEx Cup champion, Brandt responded by saying, "Pretty hard not to think that, I just shot 59 on Thursday and won the tournament. So I’m kind of one of those players that gets on hot streaks and runs them while I can, so hopefully I can keep doing that.".
A brand ambassador for Wyndham, this is the second time Snedeker has won the Wyndham Championship. His first of nine career victories also came at the Wyndham in 2007. With the FexEx Cup playoffs now set, here are the clubs Brandt used to win the 2018 Wyndham Championship.
What’s in Brandt Snedeker’s Bag
(As reported by PGATOUR)
- Driver: Bridgestone Prototype (Graphite Design Tour AD IZ 6X shaft), 9.5 degrees
- 3-Wood: TaylorMade M3 (Fujikura Pro Tour Spec 73 shaft), 15 degrees
- 5-Wood: TaylorMade M3 (Fujikura Pro Tour Spec 83 shaft), 19 degrees
- Irons: Bridgestone J15 Cavity Back (4-9; Aerotech SteelFiber i95 S shafts)
- Wedges: Bridgestone J40 (48 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft), Bridgestone J15 (51 and 55 degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shafts), Titleist Vokey TVD Prototype (60-06K degrees; True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 shaft)
- Putter: Odyssey White Hot XG Rossie
- Ball: Bridgestone Tour B X
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Keith Schneider
