Sept. 4, 2012
Brandt Snedeker, a former Vanderbilt golf standout from 1999-2003, was named by Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III to the 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club in the Chicago area September 28-30. It is Snedeker’s first selection to the Ryder Cup.
Snedeker is the second Vanderbilt-affiliated golfer to be named to the Ryder Cup – former Vanderbilt head coach Mason Rudolph participated in the 1971 Ryder Cup.
Snedeker was chosen as one of Love’s captain’s choices, along with Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, and Steve Stricker, and is in fourth place in the FedExCup standings. The Nashville native, considered one of the tour’s best putters, has had a stellar 2012 campaign, winning one tournament and finishing in the top ten in six events. Snedeker has also performed well in the FedExCup playoff events in the last few weeks, finishing second at the Barclays and sixth in the DeutscheBank Championship.
“We need hot putters and there really hasn’t been a hotter putter on tour since the Open (than Snedeker),” said Davis Love III at the official Ryder Cup press conference Tuesday morning.
Snedeker and the other three captain’s choices will join the automatic qualifiers for the U.S. team that include Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Zack Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Phil Mickelson.
Snedeker was Vanderbilt’s first All-American in 2002, when he was selected to the second team, and in 2003, he became Vanderbilt’s inaugural first-team selection.
Photo credit by Stew Milne/Associated Press