Snedeker set for Rookie of Year with Wyndham win

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2007 Wyndham Championship | Round Four | 20 Aug 2007

Brandt Snedeker has won his first tournament on the PGA Tour with a two shot victory over a group of three players, Tim Petrovic, Jeff Overton and Billy Mayfair at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina.

Starting the day five shots behind the overnight leader, Jeff Overton, Snedeker staked his claim for the title with an opening nine of 30 to be right on the heels of the leaders and although he bogeyed the 12th to slow the momentum, he bounced back with four birdies in the next five holes to eventually record 63.

Brandt Snedeker has shown on several occasions in his rookie PGA Tour season in 2007 that his maiden victory at this level was close at hand. Snedeker had already proven himself capable of winning golf tournaments with two victories on last year’s Nationwide Tour but this of course is at a much higher level. Few doubted his ability to win in this league and the fact that it has come so soon is an added bonus for the 2003 US Public Links Champion. He stands a great chance to be the 2007 USPGA Tour Rookie of the Year.

With five top tens and US$1.6 million in earnings leading into this week, Snedeker had already shown that he was capable of competing and contending at this level. His 18th place finish including a very strong weekend at the recent PGA Championship in just his fourth major championship again highlighted the quality of player he has developed into in 2007. A 61 in the opening round at Torrey Pines earlier in the year gave him his first taste of contention on the PGA Tour and in recent weeks he has been putting himself there on a regular basis.

Snedeker has a proven ability to go low, an attribute that will stand him in good stead as his PGA Tour career evolves and one that was of great help today and the sort of round he needed on a golf course that yielded low scores all week.

Billy Mayfair made a late bid for a playoff with several birdies towards the end of his round while Tim Petrovic, needing a birdie at the last, took bogey and eventually finished two back. The third round leader, Jeff Overton, made a slow start but his last hole birdie at least salvaged him a share of second place and keeps alive his chances of retaining status for the PGA Tour in 2008.

Nathan Green was the best of the Australians in 13th place and he adds another USD$85,000 to his season’s earnings. Peter Lonard had another good week following on from his 4th place finish at Firestone. He finished 20th, Mark Hensby was 37th, Jarrod Lyle and Mathew Goggin 57th while Paul Gow and Stephen Leaney were 74th.

At the completion of this event the top 144 players from the FedEx Cup points race were established to move to Rye in New York for next week’s first playoff event of the FedEx Cup Series, the Barclays.

Sixteen Australians have made it through including Adam Scott, Aaron Baddeley, Geoff Ogilvy, Robert Allenby, Stuart Appleby, John Senden, Rod Pampling, Nathan Green, Nick O’Hern, Peter Lonard, Stephen Leaney, Steve Elkington, Mathew Goggin, Steve Allan, Gavin Coles and Andrew Buckle.

For the others the next opportunity to play a PGA Tour event will be at the Turning Point Resort Championship in four weeks time.