In an event that is largely viewed as a showcase for the PGA Tour’s rising young stars, a grizzled veteran is lurking near the top of the leaderboard.
Brandt Snedeker, a nine-time Tour winner and the 2026 U.S. Presidents Cup captain, shot a 4-under par 67, three shots off the first round lead of Martin Laird. After missing the cut in his first four events of the year, Snedeker sprang to life at the Valspar Championship, where he was tied for second after three rounds.
His quality play continued Thursday at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club. Snedeker started on No. 10 and jump-started his round with a 17-foot birdie putt on the par 4 No. 12 and two-footer for birdie on the 13th, a par 5.
Snedeker, widely regarded as one of the best putters of his generation, enjoyed another outstanding day with the flatstick – gaining 2.87 strokes on the field – but renewed confidence in his swing has been the key to his resurgence.
“I’ve been swinging pretty good for a while,” the Tennessee native said. “It’s nice to know that my swing is in a good spot and I can go out there and play golf again and not worry about my swing. And so, when you do that, you try to get back to the old days of just playing golf and realizing how to shoot a score.”
In addition to worrying about his own game, Snedeker is closely following his peers in his position as Presidents Cup captain.
“You’re always thinking about it,” he said of his leadership role. “Every night you’re kind of going over how the guys are playing. You’re thinking about strategy for the golf course and for what you want the message to be to the guys. You’re thinking about just about everything, you know, possible pairings, possible outlook of what’s going to be happening. And so, it’s always a constant thing in the back of your mind because you want to make sure that you’re putting your best foot forward. You’re prepared.”
Important as the President’s Cup is, Snedeker’s immediate focus is on putting himself in position to earn his 10th PGA Tour victory.
Glass Half Full or Half Empty?
Brooks Koepka hadn’t broken par in the first round since his return to the PGA Tour, so viewed through that lens, his 68 Thursday at the Myrtle Beach Classic was a great start. But the five-time major winner had a chance to go lower, if not for a balky putter.
Despite missing five putts from inside 12 feet, Koepka rolled in a 22-footer for birdie on the par 4 18th, sending him into Friday’s second round with momentum. He also occasionally battled the driver, hitting four fairway bunkers off the tee, but we are nitpicking.
If you are looking for a reason to put a couple dollars on Koepka at the PGA Championship, he was stripping his irons at the Dunes Golf & Beach Club.
Stories We Are Monitoring
Golf is a cruel game. Nick Dunlap is just 22 years old and already a two-time PGA Tour winner, but his game has fallen off a cliff due to a bout with the driver yips. Dunlap arrived in Myrtle Beach having missed five consecutive cuts, but there were signs of encouragement on Thursday. He shot a 2-under 69. Let’s hope for more solid play … Connor Doyal, a mid-amateur from Charleston who fired a 65 to earn a spot in the field via the Monday Qualifier, shot first round 73. A fulltime caddy at Kiawah Resort, Doyal has work to do to make the cut, but he’s got game … Speaking of Monday Qualifiers, Petr Hruby, who equaled Doyal’s round of 65 at TPC Myrtle Beach, continued his hot play at the Dunes Club, shooting a first round 69.
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