Brandt Snedeker’s New Putter Ignites Blazing 65 to Rocket Up Valspar Championship Leaderboard

Brandt Snedeker has reclaimed the spotlight at the 2026 Valspar Championship, ripping off a first-round 6-under 65 on the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook after opening the PGA Tour season with four consecutive missed cuts. The 45-year-old veteran delivered the low number with a brand-new flatstick—a mallet-style Spider he put in the bag this week after nearly two decades of gaming a traditional blade. The rapid switch paid instant dividends as Snedeker gained more than three strokes on the field with the putter, converting birdies from 15, 17 and 22 feet and avoiding a single three-putt on Copperhead’s notoriously undulating greens. Snedeker’s resurgence comes 18 months after surgery to correct a rare sternum condition that sidelined him through much of 2024-25. “I finally feel like I can rotate again,” he said Thursday, crediting a winter training block focused on flexibility and core stability for a surge that saw him hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation and rank top-10 in strokes-gained approach. The round also quieted chatter that Snedeker might serve as a playing captain for the U.S. Presidents Cup team this fall. Asked if the hot start changed his outlook, he laughed: “Let’s not talk crazy here—my job is to make that team on merit, not politics,” firmly shooting down the player-captain idea. Key stats underline how far the nine-time Tour winner has come in just one week: • Driving accuracy: 78 percent (season average 59 percent) • Strokes-gained putting: +3.12 (10th in round) • Proximity inside 150 yards: 19 feet (field average 27 feet) With the Copperhead Course expected to firm up over the weekend, Snedeker’s deft touch on the greens could prove decisive. Historically, the Valspar’s winning score averages just 10-under, meaning the Tennessee native is already more than halfway to the target number. Beyond leaderboard implications, a victory would secure Snedeker his first Tour title since 2018 and virtually lock up a spot on Captain Jim Furyk’s Presidents Cup roster. It would also extend the remarkable season-long storyline of seasoned winners—following Justin Rose at Torrey Pines and Adam Scott at Riviera—proving experience still plays in a power-driven era. For now, Snedeker insists he’s keeping perspective: “After the way this year started, I’m just happy to be here for the weekend,” he said. “But if the putter stays hot, we might be talking about something really special come Sunday.” PGA Tour fans—and search engines—will undoubtedly be watching.