Haymes Snedeker always had an itch to play golf, but the deep competitive fields and his devotion to a legal career kept him away. Now, some 25 years after making his championship debut at the 1998 U.S. Amateur, Snedeker has become the talk of the town in his first U.S. Senior Open. His younger brother, 2026 Presidents Cup captain Brandt, had some role to play in it.

Following R3, 50-year-old Haymes explained his brother’s involvement in this manner: “He’s been texting me. He’s been texting me great tips. Really, the theme of all his texts has been to pace myself and not get overheated and not get ahead of myself; ‘It’s a major; par is super important… don’t look at the scoreboard,’ which is impossible to do out here, because your mug shot is plastered in front of you every six holes, so it’s hard not to look.”

As is typical for most golfers playing in a high-stakes tournament, whether on the PGA Tour or Tour Champions, Haymes is just trying not to get ahead of himself. And, so far, he has done a good job at it. In his words, “Between us, I’ve already won, in my mind. I’m low amateur… I’m swinging freer today than I have the last two days for sure.”

🤔 golf trivia

This Should Be an Easy One, Right?

01/10

Which Golfer Had an “USA” Haircut?

Sam BurnsMichael BlockBrooks KoepkaRickie Fowler

Oops, bogey!

But don’t worry, there’s still the back 9 to prove your high golf IQ

PLAY GOLF TRIVIA

Haymes Snedeker is the only amateur to make the Friday cut and is sitting tied for 22nd at 1-over after 54 holes. His run this week has been nothing short of historic. For instance, Snedeker is the first amateur to make the cut at the U.S. Senior Open since 2023. And, as per the rules, he has already achieved low amateur status. Indeed, it is hard to compare the brothers, with Brandt already holding 10 PGA Tour titles to his name, but Haymes has plenty of achievements as well.

After finishing law school in Alabama, Haymes, now a reinstated amateur, put his attention towards a legal path and, at 32, became one of the youngest municipal court judges in Fairhope. But Brandt wasn’t ready to let him hang up his clubs. At his younger brother’s urging, Haymes auditioned for Golf Channel’s reality series Big Break. He not only made the cut, but he also won it.

This win, in turn, granted him a sponsor exemption at the 2009 Children’s Miracle Network Classic (now defunct), where the brothers paired up. That week, Haymes’s wife, Amy, made dozens of “Sned Heads” T-shirts for the family members coming to watch the brothers play.

Haymes soon stepped away from golf, but he returned after qualifying for the 2022 U.S. Amateur. Two years later, he won the Mid-Master Division of the 2024 Dixie Senior and Mid-Master Invitational. And now, he is the only amateur in the field heading into the final round.

Of course, this support isn’t one-sided.

In an interview with the USGA, Haymes said of Brandt, the winner of the 2026 OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic, ahead of the event, “When I stopped playing and began working, my parents and I just lived vicariously through Brandt. He’s had such a prolific career.”

In fact, even with his legal job, Haymes has been involved with golf a lot, often caddying for his younger brother whenever he got the chance, even once at the Masters. Brandt has never won a major, but for Haymes, watching his brother win the 2012 Tour Championship was a memorable moment.

And perhaps it’s that pride that’s driving Haymes to achieve bigger things.

Why earning low amateur is an honor for Haymes Snedeker

“I think a realistic goal is low amateur. I think that’s an achievable goal. Really, the best way to put it—and this is my brother giving advice for this week—is, “Play the best golf that you can play, and however it shakes out, it shakes out,” said Haymes Snedeker after Tuesday’s practice round. It’s not an impossible goal to have.

To earn low amateur, all Snedeker needed to do was make the cut and post the lowest score among all the amateurs in the field. He did both, considering he’s the only amateur to make it to the weekend. But this honor carries additional perks for Haymes, who is looking to play more pro tournaments. For one thing, he will get a spot in the 2026 U.S. Amateur and the U.S. Mid-Amateur, as well as an exemption into next season’s U.S. Senior Open.

And the brothers’ dedication to golf is not in question. Haymes, for instance, started the Snedeker Memorial, a mid-amateur tournament, honoring the lasting impact of their late parents. Similarly, younger brother Brandt established Sneds Tour, a competitive tour for the junior circuit.

In many ways, each brother’s success is a victory for the game itself.