The 2018 Wyndham champ reflects on his time in Greensboro.
When Brandt Snedeker Teed off in the early morning on Thursday at the 2018 Wyndham Championship, there was no indication that record books would get a new chapter. But three and a half hours later, when his second shot on the 6th — his 15th hole of the day — tore through the front lip of the hole and wedged itself at the bottom, possibilities started to emerge. Two more birdies and Brandt Snedeker would join the most coveted group in PGA TOUR history. A birdie at the seventh hole would leave him two more chances. When a six-foot attempt went begging at the eighth hole, Brandt stood at 10-under on the round with one to go. His approach shot settled on the front right fringe some 16 feet below the hole. When the putt slammed into the back of the hole, a roar erupted. Brandt had shot just the 10th sub-60 round in PGA TOUR history. Brandt would shoot 67, 68, and close with 65 to win his second Wyndham Championship, and the ninth win of his PGA TOUR career.
His first win on the PGA TOUR was also the Wyndham Championship, when he capped a Rookie of the Year season with a win at Forest Oaks in 2007. With his 2018 win, Brandt joins his friend Davis Love as the only two players who have won at both Forest Oaks and Sedgefield.
“The win at Forest Oaks was huge for me because it was my first win on the PGA TOUR and propelled me to the Tour Championship,” he’s said. “Winning at Sedgefield was special for other reasons.”
Brandt has become a fan favorite over the years at the Wyndham Championship, and his 2018 win was popular among fans. It was also a popular win in the Wyndham board room. Brandt has been a brand ambassador for Wyndham since that 2007 win.
“It’s been incredible, because we kind of grew up on the PGA TOUR together,” he said. “2007 was Wyndham’s first year sponsoring the tournament and my first year on TOUR. I couldn’t have gotten luckier to win their first event as a rookie. My professional relationship with Wyndham has been incredible, but it’s all part of the personal relationship that I have with the people at Wyndham, starting with Steve Holmes.”
When Brandt returns to Greensboro this summer, there’s a good chance that the competition will be stiff. The Wyndham Championship is the final regular season event on the PGA TOUR calendar leading into the FedExCup. Following the Wyndham, the top-10 players in FedExCup points will enjoy a prize pool of $10 million, with $2 million going to the player who enters the playoffs as the number-one seed.
“It immediately puts the tournament on some guys’ radar,” said Brandt. “If you have a chance to finish first or to slip into the top-10, you have to consider playing the Wyndham. We are all getting used to the new schedule, but I think that you will definitely see a difference.