The film, which tells the story of how the small markets Oakland Athletics used outside-the-box statistical analysis to compete successfully with rich in talent competitions, resonated with Snedeker, who is not the longest hitter, right or most accurate in golf. Seventh in the standings, Snedeker is a perennial leader in the nice guys category, but even that comes with a last warning. Need to find an edge somewhere if he wanted to compete with players from talent preternaturally as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott, the top three in the world rankings.If Snedeker last year decided to borrow a worksheet by Billy Beane, Executive Director Athletics success with the mathematical analysis of the data of baseball became the subject of the book and movie "Moneyball."
"I got more into that as a way to understand who I am as a golfer and how to maximize my ability given by God," said Snedeker, 32. "I am not a freak of nature. I don't swing at the ball perfectly every time. "I putt well enough, so is to understand your strengths and playing using the historical data that are out there." Using statistics as his guide to everything, including which tournaments to enter and what holes to play aggressively, Snedeker had its own star turn. In the six months from last September, he won two of his five tour titles, including the Championship of Tour 2012, a victory that propels it to the Crown of the FedEx Cup.
Ten years in the Odyssey of Snedeker professional, two elements remain on the list of control of his career: a great victory and a classification of n ° 1. Snedeker research for a major title has been waylaid by two masters fades, most recently in April and the mysterious ailments, but it feels as if he's finally on the right track. "I've been on a lot of ups, and I have been on a downward trend in right now," Snedeker said. "But I really feel that I am on my way to the top again. I feel like I'm on top of that, and it goes in the right direction."
No one would be surprised if breakthrough major of Snedeker came this week at the U.S. Open. It is a strong putter with the management of his career, which is a solid combination at Merion Golf Club, a track with narrow fairways, indiscriminate firing and semiblind and small greens. It's player watch for Thursday round opening: the Snedeker's winter or spring Snedeker. In its first 19 competitive rounds of the year, he had a victory and two runner-up finishes, post 16 sub-70 scores and compiled an average of 67.5 stroke. In its last 20 competitive rounds, Snedeker has no finishes top - 5, two sub-70 rounds and an average of 72.3 race. He missed the cut in his last two tournaments.
If the beginning of the year was like "waking up every day in a dream world," described by Snedeker at the time, the last three months there? 'Reality', said with a laugh the week last to the stop of the PGA Tour in Memphis. "Golf is a great job to get you the moments where you feel like you can do no harm, and you get times where you feel like you can do no right. '" " And golf has an incredible ability which is the minute you think you understood it, slap you in the face and show you what realities. »
Collapse of Snedeker began the latest in a series of injuries that defies explanation. Since the age of pro in 2004, he had surgery on hips and at least four cracked ribs. He won the AT & T Pebble Beach National Pro-am in February while playing the last day with a muscle strain between his side which he far from land over the next six weeks. Wife of Snedeker stimulated to seek answers to his injuries, which, said, which she described as "not normal for someone your age."
Snedeker spent four months being tests before doctors determined that it has bone disease bass-sales business, while his body is slow to regenerate bone. Snedeker was relieved by the diagnosis. So was his brother, Haymes, who worried that it might be responsible for the fragility of Snedeker. "I'm really really surprised his injuries is not tied to anything, my friends and I did for him as a child," said Haymes Snedeker.
Since may, Snedeker took injections every night of Forteo, a drug commonly used to treat osteoporosis. The first time Snedeker held the needle to the abdomen, he became the squeamish; Raw Mandy that she would have to give him the shot. But the process rapidly became second nature to Snedeker, and flossing his teeth. "It's just a weird thing I have to deal with," said Snedeker, who described injections as a minor inconvenience. Shot-transport is another story. Medicine must be refrigerated, which has Snedeker fretting on the logistics of travel abroad for the British Open next month. "I did not understand how we are going to get it out there," he said. "So this will be the first problem I see arising.