Snedeker shines under pressure
Pressure seems to bring out the best of Brandt Snedeker and the fast-talking American delivered when it mattered most to earn himself a wildcard spot on the United States Ryder Cup team.
In the last two PGA Tour events monitored by US captain Davis Love III before the four Cup selections were announced on Tuesday, Snedeker effectively played his way on to the team by finishing second and sixth.
The 31-year-old from Tennessee has long been regarded as one of the best putters in the game, another good reason for Love to name Snedeker as one of his captain's picks for the September 28-30 Ryder Cup.
"We need hot putters, and there really has not been a hotter putter on Tour since the British Open," Love said of Snedeker during a Ryder Cup news conference at the NASDAQ headquarters in Times Square.
"He brings a lot on and off the golf course, brings a lot to the team room, and he can pair really with anybody on our team."
Snedeker will be one of four rookies on the 12-man US team to take on holders Europe at Medinah Country Club outside Chicago and he barely slept overnight after being told by Love he had got the nod.
"Davis played it very close to the vest and I had no clue one way or another," Snedeker, who flew fromBoston to Minneapolis after finishing sixth at the Deutsche Bank Championship on Monday, said via telephone.
"I got here ... got a voice-mail from Davis just asking if I brought my putter from Boston and if I wanted to be on the team. I couldn't hardly sleep last night, I was so excited. I'm so excited this morning, as you can tell by the way I am talking.
"This is just a huge, huge thing for my career. The last few years, I really tried hard to make this team, and to accomplish that is a very humbling thing."
LATE IMPRESSION
Snedeker won his third PGA Tour title at the Farmers Insurance Open in January but needed to make a strong late impression on Love after missing five events this season due to a rib injury, including the US Open in June.
After tying for third at the British Open in July, he made a rousing start to the PGA Tour's FedExCup playoffs by finishing second at the Barclays tournament.
He then maintained that form with sixth place in the Deutsche Bank Championship at the TPC Boston where he closed with rounds of 65 and 67.
"It's been a pressure-packed couple of weeks for me, but it's been all worth it," Snedeker said. "It's such a huge opportunity for me to be in my first Ryder Cup.
"I look forward to getting to Medinah and trying to make Davis look like he's a genius and play as good as I possibly can. I'm so excited to be on this team."
Snedeker joins Tiger Woods, Bubba Watson, Jason Dufner, Keegan Bradley, Webb Simpson, Zach Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker on the US line-up.
