Wyndham Championship
Greensboro, NC
Third-round leader and Wyndham Ambassador Brandt Snedeker authored a 5-under-par 32-33=65 in Sunday’s final round at Sedgefield Country Club for a 72-hole tally of 21-under 259, good for a three-shot, wire-to-wire win over Webb Simpson (62) and C.T. Pan (66) and his ninth PGA TOUR title in 306 events (305 pro), first since the 2016 Farmers 30 months and 59 starts ago.
The 37-year-old, a pre-tourney 22/1 outright, bags his second Wyndham title in 11 tries. His first, the 2007 edition held at Forest Oaks CC, was also his first on TOUR and came during his rookie season. One year later, the tournament moved to Sedgefield (full time).
“What an unbelievable week!! 59, winning where my career got started…” Snedeker on Twitter
What a week for sure. He went on to thank numerous sponsors, including North Carolina-based Peter Millar (who “makes him look stylish on the course!!”).
Final Leaderboard (pre-tourney odds outright):
1- (-21, 259) Brandt Snedeker (22/1)
2- (-18, 262) Webb Simpson (10/1 fave)
2- (-18, 262) C.T. Pan (60/1)
4- (-17, 263) Jim Furyk (100/1)
4- (-17, 263) D.A. Points (500/1)
FUN FACT: Snedeker’s 259 was one short of the Henrik Stenson’s tournament-record 258 achieved last year (62-66-66-64). Stenson back-doored a T20 this week on 13-under 267 (68-65-70-64).
Snedeker’s Position by Round:
R1: 1
R2: 1
R3: 1
Snedeker is just the second wire-to-wire winner (no ties) this season, joining Brice Garnett at the opposite-field Corales back in March.
The World No. 88 kicked off on Thursday with bogey at the par-4 10th after the dreaded tee ball 253 yards to “unknown” (on ShotLink), and a missed par-saver from 7’10”. Seventeen holes later he walked off with a birdie-3 (20’4” fringe shot) and a tournament- and course-record 11-under 59, highlighted by an inward 27.
Anatomy of a 59: 1 hole-out eagle-2 (from 176 yards), 10 birdies, 1 bogey; SG: Tee-to-Green: 7.244; SG: Putting: 2.468; 22 putts
Snedeker became just the ninth player in history (10th time) to record a sub-60 score on TOUR and the first to do so after being over-par at any point during the round. He’s now the fifth player to go on to win: Al Geiberger 1977 St. Jude/R2; David Duval 1999 Greenbrier/R3; Stuart Appleby 2010 Greenbrier/R4; Justin Thomas 2017 Sony/R1.
Mr. 58 Jim Furyk is the only player to record two sub-60s: (59) 2013 BMW Championship/R2 (finished 3rd); (58) 2016 Travelers/R4 (T5). Speaking of the U.S. Ryder Cup skipper, he didn’t close with another 58, but did card a season-low, bogey-free 63 for a season-best T4 (in 15 starts). Furyk finished 141st in the FedExCup standings so he’ll turn his attention to the bi-annual festivities getting underway in six weeks in France.
Playing out of the penultimate threesome, D.A Points ended with 67 for his first top 25 of the season in 25 starts. A surprise top 10, his first in 40 starts, after entering the week missing 16 of his last 17 cuts. At 176th in the FEC standings, the Illinois alum’s season is done, but he’s fully exempt thru 2018-19 from his win at the 2017 Puerto Rico Open, his most recent top 10 prior to this week.
Snedeker entered the week ranked 4th in all-time earnings at the Wyndham:
1. Davis Love III: $2,658,256
2. Webb Simpson: $2,017,268
3. Carl Pettersson: $1,929,418
4. Brandt Snedeker: $1,799,369
…and departs ranked No. 1:
1. Brandt Snedeker (Won): $2,879,369
2. Davis Love III (CUT): $2,658,256
3. Webb Simpson (T2): $2,545,268
4. Carl Pettersson (CUT): $1,929,418
Snedeker now owns six top 25s at the Wyndham, all six doubling as top 10s, with five of those top 5s, two straight after a T3 on last visit in 2016. He was unable to play in 2017 as his season was shortened to just 15 starts and ended in June due to a manubrium joint injury in the sternum.
Snedeker at the Wyndham:
Starts: 11
Cuts Made: 9
Top 25s: 6
Top 10s: 6
Top 5s: 5
Wins: 2
Leader/co-leaders by Round:
R1: Brandt Snedeker (Won): 1-for-5 as 18-hole leader/co-leader
R2: Brandt Snedeker (Won): 3-for-10 as 36-hole leader/co-leader
R3: Brandt Snedeker (Won): 4-for-10 as 54-hole leader/co-leader
FUN FACT: Snedeker was the 13th player this season with a 1-shot lead thru 54 holes, first since Bryson DeChambeau at the Memorial back in June. He’s the fourth to go on to win (DeChambeau; Bubba Watson: Genesis; Patton Kizzire: OHL)
After opening with a week- and career-low 59, the Nashville native and resident chased with 67-68-65, having to play 29 holes on Sunday due to a weather suspension on Saturday.
Playing out of the final threesome with Brian Gay (69) and David Hearn (70), he carded six birdies against one bogey on seven (of 14) fairways and 17 greens in regulation, gaining 2.232 strokes tee-to-green and 0.268 on-the-green with 31 total putts.
The Vanderbilt alum led by three after R1; by two after R2; and by one after R3. He was challenged in R4, right to the end, but birdies at 15 and a walk-off 3 at 18 (from 19’5”) sealed the deal.
Pan, the second-year man out of the University of Washington and one group ahead, tied Snedeker on three occasions in R4.
The first, on 19-under total, came after his fifth birdie of the round at the par-4 11th – though Snedeker would also circle 11 to take back sole possession.
The second, also on 19-under, came after Snedeker 3-jacked the par-4 13th for bogey.
This turned out to be a 3-way T1 with a hard-charging Simpson, after the North Carolinian carded his seventh birdie of the round (to go along with one eagle) at the 17th out of the sixth-to-last threesome. Simpson, who also won his first TOUR title here in 2011 – and named his daughter Wyndham in honor – bogeyed 18 after an errant tee ball (nearly OB) to post a day-low 62 and the clubhouse lead on 18-under.
The third occasion, came on 20-under, with Pan circling a 2-putt birdie-4 at 15. When he arrived to the 18th he was still co-leading on that number and promptly hit his tee ball OB right, having to re-tee. The 26-year-old walked off with double bogey-6, his lone blemish on the round, for a season- and career-tying-best T2. He jumps 45 places in the FEC standings (from 108 to 63).
Snedeker records his eighth top 25 of the season in 23 events and fourth top 10, brushing aside a previous-best T3 at The Greenbrier four starts ago.
For the week, he tallied two eagles and 24 birdies versus seven bogeys and ranked No. 1 in the All-Around; 2nd in total birdies, putts per GIR and SG: Tee-to-Green. See his full stats at the bottom.
Leaders in Strokes Gained Stats:
SG: Off-the-Tee
1. Ryan Moore (5.391)
2. Joaquin Niemann (5.163)
3. Cameron Percy (4.347)
4. Abraham Ancer (4.068)
5. Stephan Jaeger (3.890)
47. Brandt Snedeker (0.126)
SG: Approach-the-Green
1. David Hearn (9.638)
2. C.T. Pan (9.141)
3. Brandt Snedeker (7.955)
4. Hideki Matsuyama (7.358)
5. Henrik Stenson (6.641)
SG: Around-the-Green
1. Aaron Baddeley (4.882)
2. Jamie Lovemark (4.808)
3. D.A. Points (4.377)
4. Kevin Tway (3.964)
5. Brandt Snedeker (3.052)
SG: Putting
1. Matthew Fitzpatrick (7.898)
2. Dylan Meyer (7.252)
3. Chris Kirk (7.070)
4. Brice Garnett (6.748)
5. Johnson Wagner (6.270)
19. Brandt Snedeker (3.464)
SG: Tee-to-Green
1. C.T. Pan (11.899)
2. Brandt Snedeker (11.133)
3. Billy Horschel (10.740)
4. David Hearn (10.228)
5. Henrik Stenson (10.168)
With the win, Snedeker banks 500 FEC points and vaults 50 places to 30th in the standings. He also jumps 38 spots to 50th in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Snedeker’s Season:
Season Starts: 23
Cuts Made: 15
Top 25s: 8
Top 10s: 4
Top 5s: 2 (T3, Greenbrier)
Wins: 1
Season Form: 1-42-8-MC-3-MC-48-6
FEC: 30th (UP 50)
OWGR: 50th (UP 38)
Snedeker entered the week with a mixed bag of form, arriving off a (steady) T42 at last week’s PGA Championship (72-67-69-69).
24
24 (of 43) non-team winners this season had a top-25 finish the start prior (55.8%):
Snedeker? No: T42 (PGA)
14
14 (of 43) non-team winners this season had a top-10 finish the start prior (32.5%)
Snedeker? No: T42 (PGA)
FUN FACT: Snedeker is the 33rd straight winner this season with either 0 or 1 week off prior to their wins. In total, 39 (of 43) non-team event winners fall into this category. #NoLongLayoffsPlease
Snedeker’s Career:
Starts: 306 (305 pro)
Cuts Made: 222
Top 25s: 127
Top 10s: 70
Top 3s: 25
Wins: 9
Wins by Season:
2018: 1
2017: 0
2016: 1
2015: 1
2014: 0
2013: 2
2012: 2
2011: 1
2010: 0
2009: 0
2008: 0
2007: 1 (rookie season)
Field Scoring Average:
This was the 79th Wyndham, 36th and 11th consecutive at Sedgefield:
Scorecard Yardage: 7,127
Par: 70 (35-35)
Cumulative scoring averages:
R1: 68.71
R2: 69.68
R3: 67.71 (contested over two days)
R4: 67.50
Total: 68.69 (lowest of season)
Snedeker: 59-67-68-65 for 14.597 SG: Total
Note: Due to inclement weather, 30 players had to complete their third rounds on Sunday morning, including Snedeker.
Draw:
A total of 72 players from a field of 156 made the 36-hole cut of 3-under 137:
41 (of 78) EARLY/late
31 (of 77) LATE/early; 1 WD (Chris Stroud)
10 players finished in the top 10:
EARLY/late (5):
Brandt Snedeker (Won); Webb Simpson (T2); D.A. Points (T4); Nick Taylor (T8); Ryan Armour (T8)
LATE/early (5):
C.T. Pan (T2); Jim Furyk (T4); Ryan Moore (T6); Brian Gay (T6); David Hearn (T8)
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32 (of 43) non-team tourneys this season with a traditional draw:
Winners:
EARLY/late: 16 (Snedeker)
LATE/early: 16
FUN FACT: Snedeker (EARLY/late) ends a streak of five straight LATE/early winners of the Wyndham
Low Rounds:
R1: 59: Brandt Snedeker
R2: 63: Brian Gay
R3: 62: Brian Gay
R4: 62: Webb Simpson
Bogey-free Rounds:
R1: (11): Ryan Moore (63); John Oda (63); Martin Flores (64); Ryan Armour (65); Sung Kang (65); Jim Furyk (65); Sam Saunders (66); Billy Horschel (66); Zac Blair (67); Scott Stallings (67); Stephan Jaeger (67)
R2: (4): D.A. Points (64); Doug Ghim (64); Aaron Baddeley (67); Rory Sabbatini (67)
R3: (6): Brian Gay (62); Michael Thompson (63); David Hearn (64); Martin Laird (65); Kevin Tway (65); Mackenzie Hughes (67)
R4: (9): Jim Furyk (63); Nick Taylor (63); Danny Lee (64); Richy Werenski (64); Aaron Baddeley (66); Johnson Wagner (66); Dylan Meyer (66); Joaquin Niemann (66); Ryan Moore (67)
Multiple Bogey-free Rounds (3 players):
Furyk, Moore, Baddeley (x2)
Odds Favorite(s) Outright:
Dating to the beginning of the 2016-17 season (137 events), the pre-tourney fave/co-fave has won 10 times.
This Season:
43 (non-team) tournaments
4 pre-tourney fave/co-faves won:
Dustin Johnson: 11/2 (Canadian Open)
Dustin Johnson: 6/1 (St. Jude)
Jon Rahm: 8/1 (CareerBuilder)
Justin Thomas: 15/2 (CJ CUP)
Webb Simpson: the pre-tourney 10/1 fave, carded rounds of 66-68-66 and season-low 62 (1 eagle, 7 birdies, 1 bogey) for his 14th top 25 of the season in 22 starts, fourth straight, and seventh top 10, five of those top 5s.
Playing out of the sixth-to-last threesome, he was T1 with Pan and Snedeker when he came to the 18th and walked off with bogey-5, having to punch back out into the fairway after an errant tee ball. The 33-year-old records his eighth top 25 at the Wyndham in 10 visits, sixth top 10, second straight, and fourth top 5. His last two visits have been top 3s, including 3rd last year as a 36-hole co-leader.
Season Form: 2-19-24-12-47-MC-10-MC-1
Wyndham Form: 2-3-72-6-5-11-22-1-8-MC
FEC: 7th (UP five)
OWGR: 16th (UP four)
2017-18 Tournament Winners:
43
Through 43 non-team events this season:
15 winners were in their 20s
23 were in their 30s (Snedeker: age: 37)
5 were in their 40s
Updated Top 10 in FEC standings (points):
Snedeker won the 2012 TOUR Championship en route to the FEC crown and enters the Playoffs at 30th in the standings.
1. Dustin Johnson (2,717)
2. Justin Thomas (2,634)
3. Brooks Koepka (2,012)
4. Justin Rose (1,991)
5. Bubba Watson (1,879)
6. Jason Day (1,771)
7. Webb Simpson (1,710); UP five
8. Francesco Molinari (1,682); DOWN one
9. Bryson DeChambeau (1,617); DOWN one
10. Patrick Reed (1,555); DOWN one
Note: The last five FEC champions were no worse than 6th in the FEC standings entering the TOUR Championship
FEC Playoffs Implications:
IN:
Nick Taylor (T8): from 129 to 119
Harris English (T11): from 132 to 124
OUT:
Martin Piller (CUT): from 124 to 126
Tyrone Van Aswegen (CUT): 125 to 127
Snedeker’s Weekly Stats (ranking of 72 players):
Eagle: 2 (T3)
Birdies: 24 (T2)
Bogeys: 7 (T30)
Par-3 Scoring: 2.69 (T2)
Par-4 Scoring: 3.85 (T12)
Par-5 Scoring: 3.88 (T3)
Driving Distance (all drives): 282.0 yards (54th)
Driving Accuracy: 32/56 (T51) at 57.14%
GIR: 58/72 (T19) at 80.56%
Proximity to Hole: 28’2” (12th)
Putts per GIR: 1.638 (2nd)
Total Putts: 113 (T5)
Putts by Round: 22-30-30-31
Scrambling: 8/14 (T46) at 57.14%
All Around: 1st
SG: Off-the-Tee: 0.126 (47th)
SG: Approach-the-Green: 7.955 (3rd)
SG: Around-the-Green: 3.052 (5th)
SG: Putting: 3.464 (19th)
SG: Tee-to-Green: 11.133 (2nd)
