Big Win for Snedeker

Brandt Snedeker couldn't have picked a better time to get a victory. Before the start of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the 34-year-old from Nashville was coming off the worse season of his PGA Tour career and had fallen out of the top-50 in the World Golf Ranking.

He was in danger of being eligible for only one major and none of the World Golf Championships events, all big-money tournaments that cement the careers of golfers.

But all that changed Sunday at Pebble Beach Golf Links during the fourth round of the event alongside California's Pacific Coast that, in the past, experienced wild, ever-changing weather but this year basked in bright sunshine and mild winds.

And no one took advantage of the benign conditions better than Snedeker, who opened with a 64 and had three straight 67s on the three courses used for the event - Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Monterey Peninsula Country Club - en route to a record-setting 22-under 265 and a three-stroke win over Nick Watney.

The victory, worth $1.224 million and 500 FedEx Cup points, vaulted Snedeker to No. 31 in the new rankings released Monday, securing his position in all four majors and the WGC tournaments.

"It's nice to be back in those tournaments," Snedeker said. "I can set my schedule a little bit. And all the hard work I've done the last year is paying off now. I know this is a great week, but I look forward to parlaying this week into more weeks coming up and keep this momentum going."

His closest pursuer was impressed with Snedeker's play. "I thought Brandt handled himself really, really well," Watney said. "Maybe in trouble one time, but very solid. So that's what I need to be like next time."

Snedeker was solid throughout, dropping just one shot all week and reeling off 23 birdies. He didn't have a single three-putt. "Only making one bogey in 72 holes is a good feat and something I never thought I would be capable of doing out here," he told reporters Sunday evening. "So it's kind of nice to see that kind of result."

The victory was the seventh in Snedeker's career and his second AT&T title in three years; he won in 2013 by to strokes. Obviously he excels on the Monterey Peninsula's courses and their poa annua greens.

"I wish we had majors, more majors on poa annua," Snedeker said. "I wish we had all kinds of stuff on poa annua, because I seem to love them. I putt them really, really well and I love seeing them when we do get to them."

Here's what else the likable Tennessean had to tell reporters during his post-round Q&A.

MODERATOR: We'll get started. Congratulations Brandt on a great final round and obviously, your second win here. First win since 2013 RBC Canadian Open and also with this win, you'll get an invite to the Masters. Keep that streak alive since 2008. Can you talk a little bit about your emotions?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Yeah, I was really excited. It was an emotional win for me today because it been a long time coming. Last year and a half have not been up to my standard and what I felt I was capable of. I made some changes in the middle of the year last year and feel like that I got a lot better at the end of last year. And just didn't quite show it on the golf course and to come out here and my back against the wall for a bunch of tournaments. I like playing in, I'm used to playing in and it is really special and means a lot to me.

MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. You made some changes last year. What kind of changes did you make?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: I switched instructors to Butch Harmon and Butch helped me a lot kind of understanding my golf swing and how I should release the golf club and what I should focus on. Kind of change the way that I went about swinging the golf club a little bit. It's helped a lot. I feel a lot more comfortable and I hit the shots I hit today under pressure kind of validates what I was thinking. And did a great job this week. Only making one bogey in 72 holes is a good feat and something I never thought I would be capable of doing out here. So it's kind of nice to see that kind of result.

Q. You're always very competitive out here. How did the course layout today? How did the course play today for you?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: It played it was a lot tougher I think than most guys anticipated just because of the pin positions. The greens firmed up a little bit and it was greens were obviously very, very hard to read. Poa annua growing through out the day and I did a great job of staying patient. It was not, by any means, a picture perfect round. I made a lot of mistakes but I did a good job of putting the ball where you're supposed to and limiting those mistakes as best I could. We do that around here and you make a few putts which I did today, you can be successful. And I was just glad that I was able to do that today.

Q. Was the weather a factor for you?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: No, the weather was perfect all week. You couldn't have asked for four better days here at Pebble Beach.

Q. Leading into his question, last season you looked more comfortable playing but you didn't have a wonderful breakout season. This year you feel good, you look like you feel good, but you you're starting out strong. What's the difference between the two?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: I just put a lot of hard work in. There's no shortcut. Just tried to make sure that these changes I made, I put the time and effort in to practicing and making sure I'm getting better each week. And the last four tournaments was the first four tournaments I can think of that I haven't been thinking about my swing. I've just been playing golf and going out there and trying to manage my game as best as possible. And playing golf and swinging golf club are two different things completely. And I did a great job the last couple weeks of doing that and kind of getting out of the rut of working on my golf swing instead of playing golf.

Q. You made a pretty big putt on 11 after Nick made his huge 30 footer. Down the hill there. To come back. How big, in your opinion, was that putt to level and kind of match his birdie putt?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: It was big because it was a putt at Pebble you don't get very often. It was an eight foot up the hill with not a lot of break. That's one of the few putts on Pebble you can be aggressive with. So I did a great job of leaving myself with that putt. I knew I needed to take advantage of it because you don't get a lot those at Pebble Beach. I wasn't too worried about the situation I was in because I still had a lot of golf holes left to go. But it was a big putt for momentum. You don't like missing easy putts at Pebble Beach and that's about as easy as it gets.

Q. How different does this feel than two years ago? You came in so hot, you moved to number four. Toby openly talked about you winning the Masters, now this gets you in?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Completely different. Two years ago I was had a string of great golf coming into here. Kind of knew where my game was. I knew where my game was coming into here. I don't think anybody else believed me or understood how good I felt I was playing. But to come out here and do it though, obviously with a new thought process and the way I'm playing golf is the only way you're going to be able to find out how you do under pressure is to get under pressure. So do to do that today and to handle the pressure, I'm very excited about.

Q. What was the biggest key to your victory?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: This is probably the best thinking week I've had on the PGA Tour. Thinking is probably underrated on the PGA Tour of how you play a golf course, of where you miss the golf ball, where you hit the golf ball, and trying to limit your mistakes.

For me to play one bogey in 72 holes, I've never thought that that was possible. That's just not the kind of golfer I am. I kind of make a lot bogeys, make a lot of birdies that's kind of how I am. To do that over four days is something I'm very proud of and let's me know that I'm thinking and doing the right stuff.

Q. Was there any added competition being teamed with Nick?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: No, not at all. We're good friends. He got off to a great start, obviously, birdieing three or four of the first holes and I knew it was going to be a long day. I wasn't concerned with Nick at all or concerned with anything Nick was doing because I couldn't control it. I knew that there was a lot of golf ahead of me if I just did my thing and kind of kept my head down. As long as I did that, I would have a chance and it turned out that way.

Q. Talk about thinking going into winning. What about personality in this event. You obviously seem very good natured and sort of low key. Is that required given the format and everything?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: I think it is what you make it. I've always enjoyed this kind of golf. I've got a lot of friends that play in this event on the amateur side so I get to see them every year when I come here. It's a lot of fun. You get to meet some great people and some interesting people and play these great golf courses. So it's something you have to embrace. And other guys that don't enjoy it, that's something that they simply just don't want to do. So, I don't understand it. I think it's great golf courses. This week you couldn't have asked for four better days of golf and weather. So, I love coming here and can't wait to get back.

Q. Two things, the putt on 5. You missed a kind of a tiddler on 2 and a decent one on 4. I wonder, if that was a little extra meaningful to you?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: It was meaningful because 5's such a tough hole. It is the hardest par three on the golf course. To get a birdie there when you're just trying to get a par and get out, picking up a shot on the field there at least. So that was very, very important. Got me back on what my game plan was and getting couple under early. First seven holes were relatively easy here so you need to take advantage of those and then kind of hold on for a few holes and maybe get some more later. But that was a big birdie putt because it was a tough hole that I was able to pick one up on most of the guys.

Q. What was the club?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: 6 iron.

Q. And then secondly, we have seen you kind of hit some emotional parts like at the Masters that one year, but a little bit today. Was there any extra meaning or any feeling about it?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: No, I think it was . . . y'all don't see the low times, the tough times. Over the last year I've not played up to my capabilities and I was not happy with my golf game. I also wasn't happy with a lot of stuff on my on the golf side. It's tough, it takes a toll on you. You wonder if you're going to be able to get back to where you were or if you made the right decisions and that kind of stuff. So to go out there and validate it the way I did and I my family is here, my kids here, mom and dad are here, it's really special. So it's a big win for a lot of different reasons.

Q. Then the thing you talked about the other day. This all of a sudden puts you in three majors instead of one and four WGCs instead of none?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Exactly. Yeah, I mean I kept using the term I want to be relevant again in golf. I think I'm relevant again. So it's nice to be back in those tournaments. I can set my schedule a little bit. And all the hard work I've done the last year's paying off now. I look forward to I know this is a great week, but I look forward to parlaying this week into more weeks coming up and kind of keep this momentum going.

Q. What's it like being irrelevant?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Not fun. Not when you're used to it. I don't like I don't like playing golf and not feeling like I can compete and win. For six months, eight months of last year I didn't feel I could do that. I didn't feel like my game was where it needed to be, it wasn't sharp. That's why I made the switch to Butch, and it took me time to understand how to handle what he wants me to do on the golf swing on the golf course. You can't do that under pressure and expect to have great results. So it was a tough year. So all the work we put in and all the work I put in my short game kind of helped me understand that this year was a new year and I need to go out there and prove myself and that this is going to be hopefully the kind of player I am for many years going forward.

Q. Why was your game struggling the last year and a half? What clicked?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: I wish I could if I knew, I wouldn't have let it happen. It's the game of golf. You just never know. Some things you get off a little bit and it snow balls. The funny thing about golf is when you're playing bad, you never think you're going to play good and when you're playing good, you never think you're going to play bad. That's just kind of a cycle like that. I got in one of those cycles where I didn't think I was ever going to play good again and was struggling and it's tough. The game of golf is not easy. I don't care who you are out here everyone's had their down times, even the best players in the world do it. So it will beat you down, but you just keep fighting and luckily I was able to do that.

Q. Two years ago when you won here, noting your national background, I asked you if you had a favorite country song that described your career and you kind of demurred and said, well, a bunch of them, but I can't think of one. Given the way your career arc has gone since then have you come up with one now?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: I'm sure there's probably a lot. (Laughter.) I couldn't tell you one offhand, but it just feels good to be back on top and win again. That's my seventh win on Tour, kind of crazy to think about that for me, because I didn't know I don't care what any guy says out here, every time you win, you don't know if it's going to be your last win or not. To get that seventh win is really big and hopefully I can build on that.

Q. You talk about sort of not knowing why you slumped and came back, when did you start working with Butch and why has he helped I assume that's part of the reason you're here?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: He is, no. Yeah. We started working just after the U.S. Open or right before the U.S. Open last year and he did a great job of kind of helping me understand how I swing the golf club, what I need to do to be successful. The great thing about Butch is he's not technical at all. He instills confidence in you when you don't even realize he's doing it. We might have a three hour practice session and he might say one thing about my swing and 15 things about the mental side of it or what you should be thinking in certain situations or what he learned from Seve or Tiger or anybody else. He's got all these little nuggets that are great that come in handy on days like today.

Q. Can you give one example?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: You know, I used it today, the pressure gets on and it gets tough and you need to hit fairways, teeing that ball down and getting after it and trying to hit it low helps a lot. I did that a lot on the back nine. When things got tough and I was trying to didn't feel like I was swinging great at it, but I was kind of managing it, doing something as simple as that kept the ball in the fairway and kept it in front of me and made me play to my strengths, which is my short game and my putting.

Q. We talked last year about your family being with you. You're becoming more of a family man. Having Mandy in the crowd, how much impact does that have on your game?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: It's great. She is probably my biggest supporter. She does so much to make my life easier on the golf course, on the road. She is the reason why I am able to do what I do at such a high level. She takes a lot of stuff off my plate and she never wants really any credit for it. She does a great job of kind of being a team player and doing a lot of stuff that it's hard to be, take a secondary role in a life and let your husband kind of get all the glory. She does a great job of doing that and it's I wouldn't be here sitting with you if she was not like that. And she's very special.

Q. Can you tell us a bit more on the drive on 15, because that was just immaculately placed.

BRANDT SNEDEKER: It's really easy to hit big fairways, it's only 30 yards wide. I was just trying to get something down there in play. I pulled it, hit it really good, but I pulled it and I knew there was a bunker over there and I guess it kind of one hopped or skirted around it or whatever. The cameraman told me that, you wouldn't believe that if I showed it to you on video how that ball ended up there. I said, well, I've had a bunch of balls end up in bunkers that I didn't think would end up in them anyway, so I'm due for a good one every once in a while.

You need breaks to win golf tournaments. People I don't care what anybody tells you, you sit in this chair at the end of the week, you've got some good bounces and some good stuff happen and I definitely had my fair share this week. But the key is to take advantage of those bounces. So I was able to hit a great wedge in there and make a birdie putt. That's what you need to do to be successful.

Q. Speaking of that, good fortune, perfect weather all week, and that, like you mentioned yesterday, there wasn't that one day where the rain is blowing sideways and all of a sudden blind lady luck knocks you down a little bit. It was just one man, one ball, you just had to do it.

BRANDT SNEDEKER: And to be honest with you, I think I had probably the best draw of anybody, just because of getting to play Pebble two days in a row, the way I did, the tee times, the way they ended up working out, being able to go off when I did at Monterey really, really early, perfect conditions, nobody on the greens yet, stuff like that plays a role in it. And so, every little thing like that it might make a difference, might not, I think it does. Kind of had all that stuff fall into place this week, so it was one of those weeks where everything was just kind of, stars lined up and everything went right.

Q. We know

the expression, different courses for different horses. You seem to have really reached an arrangement with this course that you seem to be locked in pretty good. What is it about this course that fits your game or vice versa that?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: It's something about California. I don't know what it is. I love the green complexes out here. I love the way the poa annua, the way the ball reacts on the ground and the golf courses we play on the West Coast out here are all phenomenal, you couldn't pick a bad one. I love being out here. So I think that plays a big roll in it. When you're excited to be here, you're excited to putt on these greens and be in these conditions and enjoy it, it helps. I wish we had majors, more majors on poa annua. I wish we had all kinds of stuff on poa annua, because I seem to love them. I putt them really, really well and I love seeing them when we do get to them.

Q. Nick kind of went through the same slump, if you will, that you did last year. He said what was gnawing at him was having to watch the HSBC on TV, which is kind of odd in itself, but was there ever a moment for you last year in terms of not being at the places you're used to being that irritated you?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: I'm used to being qualified for the Masters at the end of the year and being able to plan my schedule around that. I was not qualified for the Masters or Doral or anything like that this year, so my schedule was changing. I'm planning on playing different courses and different setups and trying to get my World Ranking high enough and try to win a golf tournament to get in these tournaments. So you never like missing out on any big tournament, you never like missing out, especially for me, a Masters or a British Open or a PGA or anything like that. So it's always a motivating factor.

Q. Tom likes putters and I think he likes you. And you didn't -

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Yeah, no, it's tough, that was a tough week. That was a tough week. Not being at the Ryder Cup. Watching that on TV and talking about Tom, I assume you're talking about Tom Watson. Yeah. That was a tough week watching that from afar. After being on one team you never want to miss another one. I saw Jay Haas at the Phoenix tournament. I was talking to him, Bill won the previous week and I played with Bill and I was congratulating Jay on how well Bill played and he said, I would love to have you on the team, you need to get your butt in gear and get playing. So, you never want to miss one of those events. Jay is probably one of the most respected guys on Tour. It would mean a lot to make that team, to be on that team with him going to Korea.

Q. You been on the last two.

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Just the last I only been on one Presidents Cup team and one Ryder Cup team.

Q. Brandt, about a year ago, I think it was a year ago last month, we interviewed and you were talking about how you were going into a new health regimen, how diet was a part of that. I was wondering how that all played out for you.

BRANDT SNEDEKER: My body feels the best it's ever felt. I have no aches and pains. I have no issues with my body whatsoever. Working out a lot more, a lot smarter about how I eat, how I practice, how I do a lot of different things. So, obviously, when you're unhealthy, when you're hurt or something like that, it's hard to play great golf. So I've taken a better role of taking care of myself and I've been injury free, knock on wood, for about six, eight months now. So that's kind of a nice feeling to have.

Q. You've been using a driver that's came out in 2010. Five years ago. What makes you like that driver a lot and what kind of specific qualities of that driver do you love about it?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Reasons like today. Finds the fairway. I'm never going to be able to overpower a golf course and until I find a driver that goes straighter than the one I'm playing, I'm not going to change. I don't change much. I have same irons I've been playing for four years, same putter playing for nine years. I don't like changing equipment. I like to keep the variables to a minimum, so I know that it's me that's messing up and not the clubs. So it works better that way.

Q. The Ryder Cup situation there, did you feel more pressure than you wanted to feel trying to make the team at the end because you were one of the four or five people that were certainly being discussed all the time every week.

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Right, yeah, you obviously are. It's tough to go out there and put that in the back of your mind. It's something that you really, really want to do. I love the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup situations. So, it was tough the last four weeks of the year trying to go out there and play. And I was playing good, but you got one week to really prove yourself. So, if you don't get the right bounces and you're something doesn't happen and you play poorly, even though you know you're playing good, it's tough.

That's kind of what happened in the playoffs last year. I was playing really well leading up to it. I almost won Wyndham. I finished fifth there. If I would have putted decent I would have had a really good chance of winning. I go to the playoffs, I missed two cuts in a row, just played terrible. Still hit it great, just putted terrible, didn't have anything go in for two weeks, and all of a sudden I'm not going anywhere. So it's always tough. You don't want to have to leave it up to a pick. You need to get your business taken care of and make that team only your own.

Q. When you left Wyndham did you think you would be on that team?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: No, at that point you don't know. So much can happen in two weeks. There's a lot of things that could happen. Hunter went on to win, won the next week, and proved that he wanted to be on that team and did a great job of handling the pressure. And you need to be like that every week out there. I think Chris Kirk had a great Deutsche Bank and could have been easily picked for the team and didn't get picked, so, I mean, there's lots of scenarios that go into there.

Q. Piggybacking off of the earlier equipment question, a few years back you won the Tour Championship won the FedEx Cup with a $25 putter. Do you still have that putter?

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Still putting about it. Hasn't changed. Got it on the Nationwide Tour in 2005.

Q. I thought I read somewhere today that the resale value of your putter and driver was like $34.

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Wouldn't shock me. If you see any more, I'm willing to buy them for that. (Laughter.)

MODERATOR: Thanks Brandt.

BRANDT SNEDEKER: Thanks a lot, guys. I appreciate it.

The transcript for the above interview is courtesy of ASAP Sports.

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