[PHOTO: Raj Mehta]
Brandt Snedeker won the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup title in 2012. Later that year he and his wife Mandy established the Snedeker Foundation, which supports a variety of programs for underprivileged children in Tennessee. In recognition of his charitable efforts and his exemplary conduct during his 20-year professional golf career, Snedeker has been named this year’s recipient of the Payne Stewart Award.
A native of Nashville, Tennessee, Snedeker, 43, is the 27th winner of the award given annually by the tour since 2000 to a professional golfer “who best exemplifies Stewart’s values of character, charity and sportsmanship”. A three-time major champion and winner of 11 tour titles, Stewart died in a Learjet crash nearly 25 years ago, during the week of the 1999 Tour Championship.
“It’s an amazing honour and privilege to be a recipient of this award,” Snedeker said in the tour’s release. “With my family being from Springfield, Missouri, Payne’s hometown, he was my favourite golfer growing up, and to have my name on this trophy is unbelievable. When you’re recognised for an award like this, it means not only are you a good player, but you’re a good person. This was one of my dreams and it came true.”
“Brandt Snedeker exemplifies everything the Payne Stewart Award represents,” said PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan. “As one of our game’s most respected players, Brandt has displayed a steadfast commitment to using his platform to better the lives of so many families in his home state of Tennessee. He and Mandy have worked tirelessly to build their family foundation and establish opportunities for children on and off the golf course, and it’s inspiring to know those efforts will continue for years to come.”
Southern Company, a presenting sponsor of the award, provides a $US500,000 grant in conjunction with the honour. Of that figure, $300,000 is earmarked for a charity designated by a recipient, and Snedeker, a Vanderbilt University graduate, has selected the Snedeker Foundation.
Winner of nine PGA Tour titles and the 2007 Arnold Palmer Award as PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, Snedeker has made a difference in his hometown and throughout the state of Tennessee via a number of initiatives undertaken through his foundation, which supports social and athletic programs.
The primary charity program is Our Kids, a Nashville-based non-profit that provides a range of assistance, including crisis counselling, for children who are victims of sexual abuse. Our Kids also conducts research and offers education and training to address the problem.
The Snedeker Foundation also supports the game of golf through the Tennessee Golf Foundation and The First Tee of Tennessee. TGF focuses on junior golfers and disadvantaged youth and holds a statewide junior tour called the Sneds Tour, which promotes enjoyment of the game while making organised tournaments more affordable.
Additionally, Snedeker, with support from Simmons Bank, has hosted a Korn Ferry Tour event at Vanderbilt Legends Club in Franklin, Tennessee, since 2017 known as the Simmons Bank Open for the Snedeker Foundation. The $US1.5 million event, which has raised more than $US1 million for area charities, was chosen as the Korn Ferry Tour Tournament of the Year in 2022.
