Brandt Snedeker, pictured with his wife Mandy, was named the winner of the Charlie Bartlett Award by the Golf Writers Association of America.
photo by GWAA
Brandt Snedeker’s fingerprints of benevolence can found throughout golf in the state of Tennessee, whether it’s through the popular Sneds Tour that helps make junior golf affordable and accessible or as the host of the Simmons Bank Open on the Korn Ferry Tour.
But the generosity of Snedeker and his wife, Mandy, impacts much more than simply golf in the Volunteer State, and their selflessness and compassion was recognized on a national scale this week as Snedeker was named the recipient of the Golf Writers Association of America’s Charlie Bartlett Award given to a playing professional for “unselfish contributions for the betterment of society.”
Snedeker, 45, a nine-time PGA Tour winner, and his wife created the Snedeker Foundation in 2012 to assist underprivileged children and provide child abuse support in the Middle Tennessee area. Snedeker was also named the PGA Tour’s 2024 Payne Stewart Award winner.
“It’s beyond flattering,” Snedeker said. “I don’t think of myself in those terms. I think of myself as trying to do the right thing. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by a bunch of great people throughout the years and have learned from a lot of mentors like Davis [Love III] and Jim [Furyk]. I just try to do the right thing when I can and help out when I can.”
Snedeker joins a list of Charlie Bartlett Award honorees that includes Patty Berg, Billy Casper, Jack Nicklaus, Lorena Ochoa, Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods.
The Bartlett Award has been given annually since 1971 to a playing professional for unselfish contributions to the betterment of society. Bartlett, known for his works published in the Chicago Tribune, was the first secretary of the GWAA and served 21 years until his death in 1967.
“Growing up and playing junior golf in Tennessee, we were really fortunate. We had a bunch of great partners, Vince Gill being the godfather of sponsoring the junior golf tour I grew up playing,” said Snedeker, who created the 200-event Sneds Tour in partnership with the Tennessee Golf Association. “It kind of fell on some tough times right around the peak of my career and I saw an opportunity to step in give the kids what I had growing up.
“I wasn’t trying to do anything special. I just wanted them to have the opportunity I had, playing great golf courses all summer and the opportunity to go play and not break the bank while you’re doing it.”
Snedeker earned 50 percent of the vote from GWAA board members. Paul Azinger and Karrie Webb also were nominated.
Snedeker will be recognized on Wednesday, April 8, at the 52nd ISPS Handa GWAA Annual Awards Dinner at Augusta (Ga.) Country Club, on the eve of the 90th Masters.
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