Brandt Snedeker Looking To Battle Back

After an injury layoff for a large portion of the season, Brandt Snedeker is looking to lock in an invitation for next years Masters - by Sam Tremlett

Brandt Snedeker Looking To Battle Back

Injuries, in every single sport, suck for absolutely everyone, especially for the players because this is their livelihoods and their jobs. You want to play but your body isn't letting you, nothing can be more frustrating.

This is exactly what happened to Brandt Snedeker in 2017. He had been playing well, tying for 27th at the Masters, and had a top-10 at the US Open, and yet a sternum injury curtailed the majority of his season.

He missed The Open Championship, PGA Championship and the FedEx Cup playoffs. In terms of ranking he slipped from 28th, to his current ranking, 50th.

Which brings us nicely onto the Indonesia Masters and why Snedeker is competing.

The top 50 golfers in the rankings, at the end of the year, receive an invitation to the Masters Tournament in April 2018, an invitation Snedeker is yet to lock in. I doubt at the beginning of the year he foresaw travelling halfway around the world in the second week of December but his injury has forced his hand.

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Being the last tournament of 2017, the Indonesia Masters is unlikely to receive a stellar field, the majority of the world's best are done for the year and relaxing at home, but world ranking points are still available and Justin Rose is set to compete which would push those points higher still.

Therefore there are several players hovering around the top 50 mark all competing to get that early invitation to the Masters. Players like Dylan Frittelli, Sotoshi Kodaira, and Yusaki Miyazato for example.

No doubt, Snedeker is better than a lot of these players, previously winning the FedEx Cup in 2012, winning eight times on the PGA Tour, and competing in the Ryder Cup in 2012 and 2016.

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So, it is likely he will lock up a top 50 world ranking place which will ensure an early Masters invitation.

And yet, even if he doesn't, you can still receive an invitation provided you are in the World's top 50 a week prior to the first major of the year. Snedeker has plenty of time to prove his class, but it wouldn't be surprising if he won in Indonesia.

For more content written by Sam Tremlett, go to his blog tremlettonsport

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