Brandt Snedeker Leads Phoenix Open

Sports News - February 28th, 2010 - Written By Bryan

With his birdie on the 17th hole at TPC Scottsdale, Brandt Snedeker took a one-shot lead over Scott Piercy heading into the final round of the Phoenix Open.

Snedeker closed his third round with a round of 66, while Piercy gained a shot with a 65 at the historically boisterous setting in Arizona.

Following the two at the top is Rickie Fowler, Matt Every,Camilo Villegas, and Mark Wilson, who are all within fours shots of the lead coming into Sunday.

In addition to the difficult greens and layout of the golf course, the players had to battle another element on Saturday, mother nature. On an overcast day, the field had to deal with increasing winds that caused indecision, and inaccuracy.

The weather kept away many fans that officials had anticipated to come see the event. With just over 120,000 in attendance, it was a full 40,000 short of what was expected, and 50,000 short of the crowd which attended the tournament in 2008, which was the single day record.

The signature 16th hole, a par three for which fans are known for screaming loudly, was the main attraction on the third day of competition. It is a hole where the fans will let a player know how they did.

"It was crazy," Snedeker said in a post-round interview. "You've got to take it with a grain of salt and realize golf needs that. We need people out here having fun, being excited about being at a golf tournament. If you can't take it for one hole, good God, get over yourself and have some fun."

Snedeker has played well this season, collecting two top-10 finishes in the young season. Last season was strikingly different, as the 29-year-old missed 12 cuts in 26 tournaments to begin 2009. Compounding his on-the-course issues was a rib injury which kept him from competing for nearly two months.

"You just listen to your hype," Snedeker remarked. "You hear people talking about how good you are and how much you could be the next big thing, you should be winning each week. And the minute you think that you should be winning the golf tournament each week, you're completely out of bounds."

Snedeker noted the AT&T National tournament last season as a point in time which he began to turn his career around.

"Literally like a flipped switch," Snedeker said, "and I said, 'I'm sick and tired of this.' I don't care if I have to quit playing golf, I'm not going to keep playing the way I've been playing. And ever since then I've been playing good."

Snedeker came close to claiming a victory on the 2010 PGA Tour, finishing runner-up to Ben Crane at the Buick Open back in January.

Following a poorly executed approach shot on the 14th hole of Saturday's round, Snedeker made his only bogey of the day, but eluded to the fact that it was one of his important holes of the day. After the shot into the green landed in the bunker, Snedeker left the next shot in the sand trap, and followed that with a shot that landed 30 feet past the pin. He stepped up, collected his thoughts, and made the critical putt.

"That says a lot about where my head is right now," Snedeker remarked. "It completely changed the way I walked on the 15th tee, feeling excited, confident, everything still going good."

PGA Betting Lines at Bodog sportsbook have installed Snedeker as the favorite to claim the Phoenix Open on Sunday. Currently, he is established with odds at 9/4. Coverage of the final round can be seen live on the Golf Channel beginning at 4pm Est.