Snedeker back at last
World’s former No. 4 on Champion course for first time since 2011.
The last time Brandt Snedeker played in the Honda Classic, he withdrew after an opening-round 72 so he could return home to Nashville, Tenn., for the birth of his daughter Lily.
Lily turns 7 next week.
For the most part he’s done well in his
absence. Two of the last three years he’s won on the PGA Tour’s West Coast swing, at Pebble Beach in 2015 and at Torrey Pines in 2016. But after a five-month layoff last summer followed by so-so results in three West Coast events this year, he opted to skip Riviera last week in favor of returning to the Champion course at PGA National Resort for the first time since 2011.
“L.A. is a good golf course; this is a good golf course, too,” Snedeker said after wrapping up a 90-minute range session Monday. “I just needed a week off, really.
“This golf course is a brute, so you don’t want to be coming down here worn out. You want to be fresh, because it’s going to beat you up a little bit. You have to be really patient around here; you have to hit some good shots in some bad spots. You just have to survive.”
The Tour’s Rookie of the Year in 2007, Snedeker, 37, enjoyed the peak years of his career so far in 2012 and ’13, winning five times, including the Tour Champion-
ship in 2012 and climbing to as high as No. 4 in the world rankings in 2013.
Ranked as high as No. 22 last March, he was sidelined by a sternum injury from June to November and has seen his ranking drop to No. 67. His best finish in five events since his return was 20th at Pebble Beach two weeks ago.
ball-striking is the best it’s been. (But) one day it’s one thing, the next day it’s another thing. I’m just trying to be consistent,” he said.
Never long off the tee, Snedeker ranks 139th on the Tour in driving distance at 291.8 yards. But he’s been good as ever around the greens, ous to see how Woods — who ranking first in sand saves, missed the cut last week at fourth in scrambling and sixth in putting. Riviera — fares in what has
He plans a practice round become his hometown tour- nament. today and will tee off in the “He’s close,” Snedeker pro-am at 12:15 Wednesday said. “The biggest thing is as he makes the same adjust- he’s healthy. I look forward ments all Tour players make to seeing how he does. in bringing their games from “He’s excited about play- California to Florida. ing, he’s practicing hard, he’s
“Going from the poa annua working hard. I’ll be shocked and kikuyu (grass) is part of if he isn’t up there compet- it,” he said. “Then you’ve ing again really soon, because got the wind, a lot of water he’s still doing a lot of the in play; it’s totally different. same things he was doing So you’ve got to get your sight when he was the best in the lines, get comfortable with world. He hadn’t played tour- the grass, with the chipping, nament golf in two years, so that kind of stuff. That’s why he’s got to take some time to I got in early.” get back into it.”
Snedeker played a Satur- Snedeker’s Honda history day round with Tiger Woods is less than stellar: In addition at Torrey Pines and is curi- to his WD in 2011, he only played the event twice in the 10 years since it moved to PGA National, missing the cut in 2009 and finishing 50th in 2010. One positive he pointed to: Little has changed about the course in the time he’s been away.
“The only thing that’s changed is the 14th hole; they moved the green over (closer to the water). It was a tough hole anyway, so it’s not going to change a lot. Try to make par and get out of there.
“But I like the course; I like to play on tough golf courses where par is a good score. Schedulingwise it didn’t work out the last four or five years, so I’m excited to be back and remember why this course is one of the toughest we play on Tour.”