Brandt Snedeker: Earning 2024 Payne Stewart Award is a 'full circle' moment | Golf Channel

>> I WAS DOING PRETTY WELL UNTIL MY KIDS POPPED UP ON THE SCREEN. THAT WAS LOW. THAT WAS VERY LOW, I DON'T KNOW WHO DID THAT, BUT THAT WAS TOUGH. FIRST OFF, THANK YOU TO CHRIS WOMACK AND THE 28,000 EMPLOYEES OF SOUTHERN COMPANY FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO NOT ONLY THE PGA TOUR BUT THIS AWARD. THIS AWARD IS A REFLECTION OF VALUES THAT YOU HOLD DEAR AND I'M HONORED TO BE REPRESENTATIVE OF THESE VALUES GOING FORWARD. THANK YOU. TO THE STEWART FAMILY, TRACY, AARON, CHELSEA, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR THINKING I'M WORTHY OF THIS AWARD. AS JAY MENTIONED, I DONMY GRANDR KNEW PAYNE'S FATHER, GOT ME MY FIRST SET OF CLUBS AND THE REASON WHY I GREW UP IDOLIZING PAYNE, ALSO MY WHOLE FAMILY IS FROM SPRINGFIELD. CONNECTIONS RUN DEEP. MY LOVE OF THE GAME STARTED BECAUSE OF PAYNE, I WATCHED HIM EVERY WEEK AND WAS CAPTIVATED BY HIS CHARISMA AND SMILE. YOU GET TO MEET YOUR IDOLS AND THE ONE GUY I WANTED TO MEET MORE THAN MOST WAS PAYNE. I NEVER GOT THAT CHANCE. I'VE HEARD STORIES, I'VE HOUNDED HIS CONTEMPORARIES, EVEN TALKED WITH A BUNCH OF HIS OLD CADDIES. I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO GIVE PAYNE THE NEEDLE THAT HE WAS SO FOND OF GIVING EVERYONE ELSE. SO THIS COMES FULL CIRCLE FOR ME. I NOW FEEL EVEN MORE CONNECTED TO HIM AND HOPE TO CARRY OUT HIS LEGACY THROUGH THIS AWARD. TRACY, AARON, CHELSEA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR GENEROSITY, FOR YOUR GRACE, AND YOUR SELFLESSNESS FOR LETTING THE WHOLE WORLD INTO YOUR FAMILY. PAYNE WOULD BE PROUD. THE PAST PAYNE STEWART AWARD RECIPIENTS HERE TONIGHT AND THE ONES THAT COULDN'T MAKE T THANK YOU FOR BEING THE PEOPLE YOU ARE. THANK YOU FOR NOT ONLY WINNING TOURNAMENTS, COMPETING FIERCELY, BUT BEING GREAT ROLE MODELS OFF THE GOLF COURSE. I PROBABLY HAVE 100 STORIES I COULD TELL ABOUT EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU, BUT IN THE INTEREST OF TIME I'M JUST HONORED TO CALL YOU ALL FRIENDS. TO MY FELLOW PLAYERS IN THE ROOM, I'M HONORED TO CALL YOU COMPETITORS AND FRIENDS AS WELL. I GET ASKED ALL THE TIME ABOUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE REALLY LIKE WHEN THE CAMERAS ARE OFF AND I CAN HONESTLY SAY THE GAME HAS NEVER BEEN STRONGER. THE QUALITIES OF PLAY IS BETTER THAN IT HAS EVER BEEN BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN THAT THE QUALITY OF THE PEOPLE HAVE NEVER BEEN HIGHER. I LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING YOU ALL THRIVE IN THE YEARS TO COME. TO THE PGA TOUR, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU'VE DONE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. I STAND HERE AS NO ONE SPECIAL, BUT A REFLECTION OF THE VALUES THAT YOU HOLD DEAR. YOU TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING BACK, HOW EVERY WEEK ON TOUR CHARITY IS FRONT AND CENTER. YOU MUST BE HONEST, TIGER IS THE REASON MY FAMILY GETS TO LEAD THIS UNBELIEVABLY BLESSED LIFE. I GET TO CHASE MY DREAMS, PLAY A GAME I LOVE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY AVOID WORKING A DAY IN MY LIFE. YOU HAVE GIVEN ME OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE UNBELIEVABLE CONNECTIONS TO THIS GREAT GAME. I HAVE MET SPONSORS WHO GAME PARTNERS WHO BECAME LIFELONG FRIENDS. I LOOK AROUND THIS ROOM AND SEE THE COLLECTION OF PEOPLE BROUGHT TOGETHER AND I AM IN AWE. THAT IS THE POWER OF THIS GAME. THAT IS THE POWER OF WHAT YOU HAVE BUILT. DON'T LOSE SIGHT OF THIS. I AM NOT SPECIAL. I'M A REFLECTION OF WHAT YOU MADE POSSIBLE. THAT DESIRE YOU FILLED ME IN AS A ROOKIE AFTER I WON THE FEDEX CUP IN 2012 WAS FOR US TO START A FOUNDATION. IT GAVE ME AND MANDY THE PLATFORM AND RESOURCES TO GIVE BACK. WE SAT DOWN AND ASKED WHAT SHOULD WE DO? WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO US? IT BECAME A BUNT ANDLY CLEAR WE WANTED TO HELP KIDS IN OUR HOMETOWN OF NASHVILLE AND WE STARTED FINDINGS PARTNERS WHO WE FELT WOULD HAVE THE MOST IMPACT. WE PARTNERED WITH MANY ORGANIZATIONS OVER THE YEAR, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE. MANDY STARTED WORKING WITH OUR KIDS IN COLLEGE, IT'S A NONPROFIT THAT HELPS SEXUALLY ABUSED CHILDREN IN TENNESSEE. SHE EXPOSED ME TO THIS GROWING NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY, IT BECAME CLEAR IT WAS A NATURAL FIT. SEXUAL ABUSE IS A TABOO SUBJECT TO TALK ABOUT BUT THE MORE TIME I SPENT WITH THE TEAM I REALIZED THEY WERE MAKING A DIFFERENCE, THEY EDUCATED AND ARMED ME WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO HELP. ONE IN EVERY FOUR GIRLS AND ONE IN EVERY SEVEN BOYS WILL BE SEXUALLY ABUSED, IT DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE. IT AFFECTS THE HIGHEST AND MOST ECONOMIC BACKGROUNDS AT THE SAME RATE. OVER 59% OF THE ASSAULTERS ARE KNOWN TO THE FAMILY. ODDS ARE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HAVE BEEN ABUSED BECAUSE BECAUSE OF ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OUR KIDS IT'S NOT HOPELESS. THEY GIVE KIDS AND FAMILY A SAFE PLACE TO RECEIVE MEDICAL ATTENTION, THERAPY AND GUIDANCE, POLICE STATIONS AND HOSPITALS, THEY BELIEVE AND THEY CARE. ONE OF OUR OTHER FOCUSES IS JUNIOR GOLF. I GREW UP PLAYING ON THE GOLF TOUR, I STARTED PLAYING IN EVENTS WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD AND IT GAVE MY A PLACE TO COMPETE CLOSE TO HOME AT A COST MY PARENTS COULD AFFORD. SO WHEN THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO PUT MY NAME ON IN 2015 WE JUMPED AT IT. OUR GOAL WAS TO MAKE JUNIOR GOLF AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL SKILL LEVELS ACROSS THE STATE. I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WHEN WE STARTED THE TOUR STARTED IN 1993 THERE WAS 150 MEMBERS AND ONLY EIGHT EVENTS. THIS YEAR THE SNEDS TOUR HAS MORE THAN 2,000 MEMBERS AND 214 EVENTS WITH NO INCREASE IN FEES SINCE WE STARTED. IT'S ONE OF THE MOST REWARDING THINGS SEEING THE PARENTS CADDYING FOR THEIR KIDS, HIGH-FIVES AFTER A GREAT SHOT AND PEOPLE THANKING ME FOR MAKING THIS AVAILABLE TO THEM. NOW I GET TO WATCH MY SON PLAY AND IT'S THE MOST REWARDING, STRESSFUL THING I HAVE EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH. NOW I KNOW HOW MY DAD FELT ALL THOSE YEARS. A HUGE THANKS TO ROB FOR MAKING THIS FEWER WHAT IT IS. JIMMY, TA, MIKE, THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR COUNTLESS HOURS, TIME AWAY FROM FAMILY, EARLY MORNINGS AND LATE NIGHTS, HELPING ME BE THE BEST PLAYER I CAN BE. TO THE COACHES AND CADDIES THAT HAVE HELPED ME OVER THE YEARS, THANK YOU. TOUR PLAYERS HAVE BEEN PRE MA DONNAS, I'M NO DIFFERENT. THANKS FOR HELPING AND PUTTING UP WITH ME OVER THE YEARS. WE'VE MADE SO MANY GREAT MEMORIES TOGETHER. AND FINALLY TO MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY, I'VE SAVED YOU LAST FOR A REASON. I SAW STEVE STRICKER START OUT THANKING HIS FAMILY A FEW YEARS AGO AND WE KNOW HOW THAT ENDED, IT DIDN'T GO WELL. SO TO MY FRIENDS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT, FOR SUBBING INNER FOR ME FOR DADDY DUDEES WHEN I WAS AWAY ON TOUR AND KEEPING ME GROUNDED. I LOVER THIS QUOTE ABOUT FRIENDSHIP, A FRIEND IS SOMEONE WHO LOOKS OVER YOUR BROKEN FENCE AND ADMIRES THE FLOWERS IN THE GARDEN. I AM MOST CERTAINLY A BROKEN FENCE. TO MY FAMILY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR LOVE AND SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS. MY MOM AND DAD PASSED AWAY A FEW YEARS AGO BUT I KNOW THEY ARE HERE WITH US TONIGHT AND THEY ARE SMILING. THE BETTER LOOKING AND MORE SUCCESSFUL SNEDEKER IN THE ROOM, YOU ARE THE BEST BIG BROTHER ANYBODY COULD HAVE. TO MY KIDS AT HOME, I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH. YOU ARE THE BEST VERSIONS OF MANDY AND MYSELF AND BY FAR MY GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT AND GIFT TO THIS WORLD. TO MANDY, I MADE IT THIS FAR, I'M DOING GOOD. ALL RIGHT. TO MANDY, YOU ARE THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME. YOU ARE MY BEST FRIEND, THE AMBASSADOR OF FUN FOR OUR KIDS AND THE LOVE OF MY LIFE. AND SO I WILL LEAVE YOU ALL WITH THIS, PETER JACOBSEN CALLED ME THE OTHER DAY TO SAY CONGRATS AND LEFT ME WITH WHAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE THE BEST WAY TO SUM TONIGHT OFF. VERY FEW PEOPLE GET TO GO INTO THE HALL OF FAME OF GOLF BUT TONIGHT THIS IS MY HALL OF FAME MOMENT. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]