For a long time on Sunday, Brandt Snedeker seemed to have the Safeway Open title wrapped up. However, as the tournament turned to the back nine, the nine-time PGA Tour winner loosened his stranglehold on the lead.
Three straight bogies on 10, 11 and 12 shrunk Snedeker’s lead from five to two bringing a slew of players back into the mix, including Ryan Moore and Kevin Tway. Snedeker made pars at 13, 14 and 15, but by then he had been caught by Moore. A birdie on the 16th gave him the solo lead again, but a poor tee shot and disastrous second set up a fourth bogey on the back nine.
Unable to convert a birdie bid from just inside 50 feet on the 18th hole meant he would be playing the final hole at the Silverado Resort alongside Moore and Tway with the tournament on the line.
Facing a nine-footer to be the first man in, the normally-steady Snedeker pushed the putt and was eliminated.
“I’m going to look back on that one in a few years, really gave that one away,” Snedeker said after the round. “I had full control. It’s really disappointing. I played probably 63 holes of pretty damn good golf, and nine holes I’d like to have back.”
To his credit, Snedeker took it on the chin, even reaching out to fans to thank them for the support he feels he didn’t deserve.
No one to blame but myself.. I have to find a way to win today.. Can’t wait to tee it up next week in Malaysia.. Not going to let 9 bad holes make me forget about the other 63..I am going to get that 10th win soon!! Thanks for all the support, don’t deserve it after that junk!!
— Brandt Snedeker (@BrandtSnedeker) October 8, 2018
“No one to blame but myself,” he wrote. “I have to find a way to win today. Can’t wait to tee it up next week in Malaysia. Not going to let 9 bad holes make me forget about the other 63. I am going to get that 10th win soon!! Thanks for all the support, don’t deserve it after that junk!!”
Snedeker will compete against the likes of two-time CIMB Classic winner Justin Thomas, victorious European Ryder Cupper Paul Casey, Keegan Bradley, Billy Horschel, Marc Leishman and others at TPC Kuala Lumpur.
