Brandt Snedeker used to be one of the best on tour with a flat baton in his hand, but even a maestro can strike a sour note. That’s just what the world’s 19th-ranked golfer did on Saturday at the Masters, when last year’s fourth-ranked putter 5-jacked Augusta National’s par-3 fourth.
That’s five (5) putts for a quadruple-bogey 7 on what played as the most difficult hole on the course in 2013. Saturday, the slick green completely bamboozled Sneds.
Snedeker, like many of the guys in any Masters field in any given year, has had a life-long dream of slipping into a green jacket. His emotions got the better of him in 2008, when he collapsed down the stretch after teeing off in the final group in Sunday’s finale, which he began two shots behind Trevor Immelman.
He eagled No. 2 to get into the lead and made a mistake looking at the leader board. By the turn, he made five bogeys and that was the end of his dream, with a final-round 77.
Something’s certainly going on with Snedeker and his putting. This season he’s 77th in the all-important strokes gained-putting stat. Saturday’s 5-jack won’t help.