Brandt Snedeker won a playoff for the second time this season on the Nationwide Tour, birdieing the first extra hole to beat Australia's Aron Price on Sunday in the Permian Basin Charity Classic.
Snedeker, the 25-year-old former Vanderbilt player who won the Scholarship America Showdown in Minnesota in July on the second hole of a playoff with Jeff Quinney, closed with a 3-under 69 to match Price (66) at 16-under 272.
Snedeker, who missed five tournaments in August and September because of a broken collarbone, made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th to force the playoff, then won with practically the same putt in the playoff.
``It was nice to pull from the memories of playing well on the last hole in tournaments earlier this season,'' said Snedeker, who eagled the final hole of regulation to set up the playoff win in the Scholarship America Showdown and a playoff loss in the Chattanooga Classic. ``I knew I could do it. That obviously helped me today. It was a great way to finish and obviously a good way to finish the playoff.
``Aron played really well today. A 66 on the final day is really good. Luckily, I hung in there and played great golf down the stretch.''
The 2003 U.S. Amateur Public Links winner earned US$85,500 to jump from 16th to eighth on the money list with $276,832. The top 20 at the end of the season will earn 2007 PGA Tour cards, with Snedeker virtually guaranteed a spot.
``When I got hurt it put everything on hold,'' Snedeker said. ``But in hindsight it was a blessing. I was getting burned out. But sitting out got me refreshed and now I'm playing really good golf again. It is great to get the pressure off and be able to have fun the rest of the year.''
He also moved within a victory of an in-season promotion to the PGA Tour as a three-time winner on the Nationwide Tour.
``That is nice to be in that race now,'' said Snedeker, the fourth two-time winner this year. ``It is not often you get to say you have three tournaments left to get ready for the PGA Tour. And who knows, perhaps I'll win another one soon and make the move early.''
Snedeker led wire-to-wire on the Midland Country Club course.
``This is a great golf course for me,'' Snedeker said. ``It was a fun day and a fun week. I made it hard on myself today but it was fun. I guess it was meant to be destiny or whatever you want to call it.''
Craig Bowden (66) finished third, a stroke out of the playoff. Andrew Buckle (68) and Matt Kuchar (70) tied for fourth at 13 under.
David Hearn of Brampton, Ont., finished tied for 11th with a 10-under par, while Victoria's Jim Rutledge finished tied for 23rd with a 7 under.
