Brandt Snedeker recorded his lowest score at the Copperhead Course in 49 career rounds. And this was a massive moment, considering his 2022 surgery. Snedeker said so himself!

During the press conference on Thursday, Snedeker addressed his condition following the procedure and how it has affected his game.

“I don't have any pain or anything like that. I've lost some mobility just because of that. My chest is not able to do the things it used to be able to do, so my rotation's a little limited.”

Snedeker’s surgery was performed to treat manubrium joint instability, a condition affecting the joint in his sternum. It developed over time due to the repeated stress of his golf swing.

To move forward with the procedure, Snedeker had to convince Dr. Burton Elrod in Nashville to take on the case, as the surgery had been performed only once before on former NFL quarterback Steve McNair.

To address manubrium joint instability, surgeons used bone from his hip to rebuild and stabilize the joint in his chest. He then went through a recovery period that lasted about five months.

The 2016 Farmers Insurance Open winner then explained how it has impacted his day-to-day play and overall condition, “But when it comes to practice or pain-wise or anything like that, I'm actually relatively well. I'm way better now than I was before the surgery, I just have lost a little bit of mobility."

He added, pointing to age as a factor in the change: “But that's going to happen when you get 45 years old out here.”

And so far, he's doing well. Brandt Snedeker opened the 2026 Valspar Championship with a bogey-free 6-under 65, finishing the first round in solo second place, one shot behind Sungjae Im. 

When the discussion shifted to the decision itself, Snedeker spoke about the hesitation and uncertainty he faced before going ahead with the procedure.

Brandt Snedeker Reflects on Surgery Decision and Recovery Process

During the press conference, Brandt Snedeker said, reflecting on the decision at the time:

“Should have done it a long time ago. It's hard to chalk up, you know, you never want to have to talk a doctor into doing a surgery, but I had to do that. It was a really experimental one, but my quality of life was not good, and if I wanted to play out here, I needed to have finality one way or the other."

During the initial phase, he remained largely immobile to allow the bone to heal and fuse properly. He resumed hitting golf balls in April 2023 as part of his return to play.

He added, explaining what that decision meant for him moving forward, "Needed to have the surgery and have it work or not work, and I could move on. So obviously looking back on it, it was a great decision, I just wish I had done it a little earlier.”

Can Brandt Snedeker carry this Round 1 momentum into the weekend? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar