The old adage is “drive for show and putt for dough.” In that case, so far this season on the PGA TOUR, Brandt Snedeker has been the top doughmaker.

Through 65 rounds this season on TOUR, Snedeker is averaging just 27.77 putts per round. That makes him best on TOUR by a small margin over Canadian Mike Weir. Snedeker also enjoys a small lead over the rest of the TOUR in putting average at 1.710, narrowly besting J.P. Hayes, who checks in at 1.715.

Snedeker got his lone PGA TOUR victory in his rookie season when he won the 2007 Wyndham Championship, finishing two shot better than Tim Petrovic, Billy Mayfair and Jeff Overton at 22 under, punctuated by a final-round 63.

This year, Snedeker started hot, grabbing a top-10 at his first start of the season at the Bob Hope Classic. He tied for second at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines in late January, one shot behind winner Ben Crane. It marked his seventh top-10 in 15 starts dating to the 2009 AT&T National at Congressional. At the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, Snedeker made the cut on the number, then fired 69 on Saturday and 61 on Sunday to finish in a tie for eighth behind surprise winner Graeme McDowell.

“It’s amazing what happens when you have confidence in what you’re doing and how to prepare for golf tournaments, how to be out there and know that you have a chance every week that you tee it up,” Snedeker said earlier this season. “This year has been kind of a continuation of end of last year.”

Before turning pro in 2004, Snedeker had a decorated amateur and collegiate career. He won the 2003 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship, became a first-team All-American during his junior season at Vanderbilt University, becoming the first Commodore to ever earn that honor. During his senior season at Vanderbilit, he spent time as the nation’s top-ranked golfer according to Golfstat and Golfweek. Snedeker was the 2003 Southeastern Conference Male Golfer of the Year award and a three-time, first-team All-SEC selection. He also represented the United States in the 2002 USA vs. Japan Collegiate Golf Championship, going 3-0 to lead U.S. to a 31-29 victory.

In high school, Snedeker was a two-time Tennessee high school state champion and a two-time Tennessee State Junior Player of the Year.

PGA TOUR Putts Per Round Leaders

Rank Player Rounds Average

1 Brandt Snedeker 65 27.77

2 Mike Weir 49 27.89

3 Ryuji Imada 62 28.02

4 Matt Bettencourt 63 28.09

5 Brian Gay 68 28.12

  TOUR Average 53 29.30

--By PGATOUR.COM