Brandt Snedeker News

June 12, 2013; Ardmore, PA, USA; Jordan Spieth walks to 8th green during the practice round of the 113th U.S. Open golf tournament at Merion Golf Club.

As the U.S. Open trophy sparkled in the fading Sunday sunlight and the smiling champion attached to it, Justin Rose, posed for the cameras, you had to wonder whether such a scene would ever be repeated at Merion Golf Club.

Tiger Woods made birdie at the first hole, only to watch his day go racing downhill from there.

Phil Mickelson knew it was going to be close, so he made sure his group could finish the second round of the U.S. Open on Friday.

* Kevin Callahan, Courier-Post: Jim Furyk. After his meltdown last year on 16 while tied for the lead on Sunday at Olympic, the veteran from West Chester, Pa., will rebound in his home state and win his second title along with 2003 at Olympia Fields.

My first interview with Tiger Woods was in the spring of 1996. He was a Stanford sophomore.

Not even three weeks ago, Gavin Hall was taking on many of the best amateur players in the Monroe County area, systematically executing shot after shot to win the Rochester District Golf Association Match Play Championship at Ravenwood Golf Club in Victor.

Much like a team hitting its peak at tournament time, professional golfers look to do the same when it's to play a major championship.

For the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, there are worrying signs and issues aplenty heading into the season's second major.

Harris English collected his first PGA Tour title on Sunday at the St. Jude Classic and that helped him soar 55 spots in this week's world golf rankings.

My first interview with Tiger Woods was in the spring of 1996. He was a Stanford sophomore.

Golfers hit the links at TPC Southwind to compete in the third round of the St. Jude Classic.

Aug. 26, 2012; Farmingdale, NY, USA; Harris English tees off on the first hole during the final round of The Barclays at Bethpage State Park.

Brandt Snedeker has always been an upbeat golfer who oozes confidence. The Nashville native always sees sunshine behind the darkest cloud.

Davis Love III is busy still trying to play his way back into shape after back surgery in February.

Falling in between Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament and the U.S. Open, the FedEx St. Jude Classic doesn't pack much in the way the star power, but that doesn't mean it is void of stars.

Some golfers suffer lower back pain, others aching hips. Nashville's Brandt Snedeker was cracking his own ribs.

"I know that for me to be sharp mentally especially into a tournament where the penalty for missing is so great like the U.S. Open, it's important that I'm sharp and I'm ready to play," Mickelson said Wednesday after finishing a practice round.

Brandt Snedeker is taking medication he injects into his stomach every night trying to increase the bone mass in his troublesome ribs that kept him from playing competitive golf earlier this year for about a month.

Maybe it's the hilly TPC Southwind course that's usually smothered in high humidity.