New driver, ball help Brandt Snedeker

The yardage at Augusta National Golf Club hasn’t changed, but the course will play shorter for Brandt Snedeker this year.

That’s because Snedeker has picked up “eight to 10 yards” off the tee thanks to a new driver and ball, he says.

“It’s just I have got a driver that fits me perfectly, got a ball that fits me perfectly,” he said. “I’m maximizing it right now. I’m getting everything I possibly can out of my golf game, which is what you’re trying to do when you’re hitting the driver.”

That yardage increase helped Snedeker win his eighth career PGA Tour victory, at Torrey Pines, in late January.

“It’s going to help me especially in Augusta – five to 10 yards there is a big deal,” Snedeker said. “If you’re going into some of these holes with a 7-iron instead of a 6-iron or even an 8-iron instead of a 6-iron, it is a big deal because the greens are so small and you’ve got to put them in the right spot to have a legitimate birdie opportunity.”

The added length will also help him reach the par-5 eighth hole in two shots with more regularity.

“Number eight is a great example of one I’ve struggled to get there in two,” he said. “I’ve had to hit a perfect tee shot and perfect 3-wood to get there on the front of the green. Now I should be able to get there pretty easily.”

On another par-5, the 15th hole, Snedeker should now have more looks at birdie.

“Number 15 was always kind of if I hit a good drive, I had a 3-wood to 5-wood in,” he said. “Now I know if I hit a good drive I might be able to get a 5-wood to a 4-iron in, which makes a huge difference on that hole because 3-wood won’t stop on the green. You can’t be aggressive with it.”

Snedeker rarely misses a cut (just five out of 27 starts last year). One of those was at the Masters, only his second in eight starts.

Failing to make it to the weekend at Augusta National hurts more than any other missed cut, he said.

“You have such expectations going in there and you want to be around for the weekend and have a chance or even if you’re not playing great to have a chance to move up the leaderboard,” Snedeker said.

“You kind of build your first half of the year getting ready for that so if you don’t play well, it’s tough,” he said. “One of the things you have to deal with when you get there is not getting too high and making sure you get in the process and really enjoy it.”

In 2013, Snedeker started formulating a game plan for each tournament and its course, much like a football coach does for an opposing team each week. He said that has paid off.

“That was the first time I really did a serious game plan on every week I play on what my goals are and what I need to accomplish that week,” Snedeker said. “I played in the last group in the 2013 Masters and ended up finishing sixth. I had a chance but didn’t play good on the back nine. I kind of saw the benefit of it. I used to go to a golf course without a game plan, trying to play as good as I possibly can.

“Now I have a game plan for what I’m trying to accomplish every day, what I’m trying to accomplish throughout the week, a set of goals to hit every day,” he said. “Little stuff like that. It doesn’t sound like much, but when you have that, you break up the tournament into I’m not just trying to win, I’ve got a great routine down now.”