Before entering the Valspar Championship, Brandt Snedeker had already begun putting the pieces together for a strong outing. He let go of the same putter he had used for more than 20 years. Then, of course, came the first three dominant rounds. But ultimately, he slipped out of the top five and finished T18 at four-under 280.
Finishing the final round with a five-over 76 was certainly tough on the 45-year-old. After all, he briefly shared the lead on Sunday before struggling on the back nine. But Snedeker wasn’t the only one who struggled there, and that allowed Matt Fitzpatrick to take the solo lead at 10-under with a 30-foot birdie and eventually win the $9.1 million tournament.
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Missing out on the chance to win clearly stung, and Snedkar didn’t mince his words.
“Obviously disappointed,” the nine-time PGA Tour champion confessed to the media following the fourth round at the Valspar Championship. “Hung in there really well on the front nine. Stood on the 10th tee tied for the lead, which is all you can do. My swing left me on the back nine. I really struggled. I couldn’t really find anything to put the ball where I wanted to.”
He praised the demands and ‘perfect design’ of the Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club–Copperhead Course, wheregolfers are rewarded for staying in position, but even a single drift is punished.
Brandt Snedeker began the tournament with a bogey-free 65. Through the first 54 holes, he was nine-under par. He led the field in strokes gained/putting, gaining a whopping 8.6 shots through three rounds, and after shooting a bogey-free five-under-par 67 on Saturday, he and David Lipsky (70) were tied for second at nine under, two shots behind Sungjae Im (69).
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But the Nashville native collapsed by the 12th hole in the final round after three-putting for a double bogey. Even though it was his only bad putt, it put Snedeker down by 16 spots on the leaderboard.
“It’s frustrating, it sucks, and all the good stuff this week kind of feels like I threw it away today,” he continued. “But that’s part of golf, that’s why I love this challenge, and I’ll come back next week and try to figure out what I did wrong and try to fix it.”
Still, his performance at Innisbrook Resort was his best of the year. Snedeker has made five appearances this season, and the Valspar Championship is the only one where he made the cut and stayed in the second spot for quite some time.
After months away from contention, the moment may have played a role on the back nine.
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After months away from the hunt, did pressure catch up with Brandt Snedeker?
Due to several injuries, including experimental chest surgery, and the simple fact of age, he has struggled in all facets of his game, including his putting. As his winless drought reached seven full seasons in 2025, he began his 2026 campaign with only conditional status and missed cuts in his first four starts. It was about time for him to consider a drastic change.
BETFRED British Masters 2025 Brandt Snedeker USA on the 3rd tee during Round 3 of the BETFRED British Masters 2025, The Belfry Hotel & Resort, Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire, England. 23/08/2025 Picture: Golffile Steve Flynn All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Steve Flynn Copyright: xStevexFlynnx *EDI*, *Imago*
So, in his most recent start two weeks ago in the Puerto Rico Open, he put away the Odyssey he used for 23 years and went to the TaylorMade Spider Tour X mallet that so many golfers have found success with on tour. Though he missed the cut, he liked how it felt. And if anything, the switch has had an enormous impact on his play this week in the Valspar Championship.
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But despite falling through the leaderboard, Brandt Snedeker claimed to be happy with his process on Sunday. He wasn’t “nervous” or “uncomfortable” with the kind of situation he landed in by the 10th. Instead, he took accountability and blamed his swing.
“Feel like my swing was a little bit off. This golf course can really make you pay. It’s not like I hit any wild, awful shots, just constantly a slow drain. Miss a fairway here, miss a green there, and put the ball in the wrong spot, and you’re going to make bogeys,” Snedeker said.
“That’s what I did on the back nine. Hung in there on the front nine.”
However, he still wishes to go back in time and tee it off on the 10th once more. But for now, Brandt Snedeker seems focused on one thing: performing well as the Presidents Cup captain.
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