After Golf Hiatus, Haymes Snedeker Enjoying a Mulligan at Scioto Country Club

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The Snedeker family are no strangers to competitive golf.

Born and raised in Nashville, Tenn., brothers Haymes and Brandt Snedeker followed in the footsteps of their late parents, Larry and Candice, whose love for the game shaped the family's life. From an early age, golf became a central part of the brothers' upbringing, laying what would eventually become the foundation for a pair of successful competitive golf careers.

Unlike Brandt, whose career followed a more conventional journey to the PGA Tour, the elder Snedeker brother, Haymes, a qualifier for the 46th U.S. Senior Open at historic Scioto Country Club, carved out his own path to the game’s highest level with several prolific and non-traditional stops along the way.

Following his early playing days, Haymes, who is named after his fraternal grandmother, signed to play golf at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford.

During a four-year playing career with the Rebels, he compiled an impressive résumé, earning All-Southeastern Conference first-team honors in 1999 following a season in which he led the team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 14 years. He also won a pair of individual titles, including the 1998 Cleveland Intercollegiate and became the first golfer in program history to be a four-time Academic All-SEC selection.

Following his playing career, Haymes stayed put in Oxford as an assistant coach while attending the university's law school, much to the surprise of his father, a career attorney.

"My father told me not to go back to law school," said Snedeker.

"But I went against his wishes. You always do what your parents tell you not to do. That's what kids do. I was incredibly fortunate that my college golf coach had created an assistant golf coach position. It helped me pay my way through law school, and I got to stay involved with the golf team. I mean, it could not have been a better fit."

Despite balancing the demands of law school and coaching, he continued to devote time to his own game.

"I played probably the best golf of my life while I was in law school because I would go to class and then play with the golf team," said Snedeker. "Looking back on that time, I think it's a microcosm of my entire life; being a jack of all trades, but master of none... I played way more golf than I should have, but come Thanksgiving or Easter right before finals, I disappeared. I just told my boss, Coach Woody Coward, 'I'm gone for the next month.' And it paid off; I was probably top 10 in my class."

Upon earning his law degree, Haymes turned his attention to a legal career. At 32 years of age, he became one of the nation's youngest municipal court judges in Fairhope, Ala., an impressive accomplishment for someone who describes himself as a "jack of all trades, master of none."

While he was building a successful career in law and commercial development, the itch to pursue competitive golf never faded.

Around the same time, Brandt was embarking on the beginning of what would become a decorated PGA Tour career, earning his first title at the 2007 Wyndham Championship and winning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors.

It was Brandt who encouraged his older brother to apply for Golf Channel's reality show, Big Break, for a chance to revive his dream of playing professional golf.

In a result few could have predicted, Haymes not only earned a spot on the hit television show but also made the most of the opportunity. Teaming up with Bernadette Luse, another former Ole Miss golfer, the tandem defeated Hugo Leon (Southeastern Louisiana) and Camila Mori (South Carolina), both of Chile, 2 up in the series finale to win the show.

For Haymes, the victory proved to be a turning point.

Winning Big Break earned him an endorsement deal with Adams Golf, entry fees for PGA Tour Qualifying School and an exemption into a PGA Tour event, giving him a path to realize a childhood dream of competing at golf's highest level, alongside his brother.

That dream became a reality in 2009 when Haymes and Brandt both teed it up at the Children's Miracle Network Classic at Walt Disney World’s Magnolia Golf Course, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Brandt made the cut and finished 3 under par, while Haymes missed the weekend after rounds of 74-76. Interestingly, that week's champion, Stephen Ames, is among the competitors at Scioto C.C. this week.

Seeing how competitive and deep PGA Tour fields are, Haymes turned his attention back to his legal career and family.

Life took precedence over professional golf.

"You know, I had kids, work and my parents," he said. “You’ve got to take care of family and your career, so I took a hiatus for a while, but eventually started teeing it up again, made it back to the 2022 U.S. Am."

Nearly 25 years after making his championship debut at the 1998 U.S. Amateur at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y., Haymes returned to America’s oldest amateur championship for a third occasion – this time as a 46-year-old mid-amateur with two kids, and the co-founder of a successful commercial development firm.

The week at The Ridgewood Country Club and stroke-play co-host Arcola Country Club, in New Jersey against blooming college stars and high school prodigies did not go exactly as planned, as he failed to qualify for match play after a disappointing opening round of 83.

But four years later against players in his age bracket, the U.S. Senior Open presents Haymes with a new outlook on high-level competitive golf.

Rather than trying to compete against future PGA Tour pros, he arrives at Scioto Country Club as one of the youngest competitors in the field, with full confidence in his ability to go low on a course that suits his game.

"I would say it's one of the best layouts that I [have] played at a USGA event,” said Snedeker. “This is my seventh [USGA championship]. But it is true to the Donald Ross design. It's in perfect condition. Absolute perfect condition.”

"I also think it's one of my favorites because of the fact I'm one of the youngest players in the field, and it's not too long. I played at Ridgewood in 2022 and it was just too much, too long. Everything's kind of aligning. Scioto, on the other hand, is in great shape and fits my game. I'm in good shape physically and then I've got a great caddie in David French, so, I mean, competitive advantage, I've got it all in my court here."

In addition to a leveled playing field, Haymes believes one of his biggest advantages this week is having French by his side.

A multiple-time Scioto club champion and one of Haymes' close friends, French will man the bag. In addition to his own triumphs at the club, his mother, Patty, won the Scioto Women's Club Championship an unprecedented 19 times, including 10 consecutive titles, giving him a level of local knowledge few caddies in this field can match.

"I feel as if I’ve got a two-shot advantage,” said Haymes. “I've only played three half-rounds at Scioto, and I feel like I've been a member here after playing with him."

In terms of his goal, Haymes’ sights are set on becoming the low amateur at Scioto. That would get him a spot in next month’s U.S. Amateur at Merion Golf Club and the U.S. Mid-Amateur in September at Sand Valley Resort, in Wisconsin as well as an exemption into the 2027 U.S. Senior Open at Oak Tree National Golf Club, in Oklahoma.  

“I think a realistic goal is low amateur,” he said following Tuesday’s practice round.

“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.’ ... I don't see why I can't be up on the leaderboard at some point. But I’ve got enough pressure on myself, I set pretty high expectations for myself, so you have to be reasonable.”

Regardless of the outcome, Haymes' greatest prize extends well beyond the golf course.

His deep appreciation for his late parents and younger brother, who will captain this year’s U.S. President Cup Team, is evident throughout every chapter of his story. That is why he remains committed to preserving their legacy through the Snedeker Memorial, a mid-amateur tournament in Alabama that champions mid-amateur golf while honoring the lasting impact Larry and Candice Snedeker had on the Gulf Coast golf community. Brandt Snedeker, the 2003 U.S. Amateur Public Links champion, also established the Sneds Tour, a competitive junior circuit in Tennessee.

"Number one,” said Haymes, “I felt like there weren't enough events on the mid-am calendar in the spring, and there was an opportunity to create one... it was also cathartic for me in some ways to help heal after losing both of my parents during the pandemic.”

"I mean, literally three fourths of the field have played golf with my brother or me, and almost everybody knew my parents, so it's kind of a celebration of their memory in a vehicle to give back to some of the charities that they were close to on the Gulf Coast."

Haymes also speaks highly about his younger brother, who broke an eight-year victory drought earlier this year at the OneFlight Myrtle Beach Classic. His impact on and off the golf course is equally profound.

"When I stopped playing and began working, my parents and I just lived vicariously through Brandt. He's had such a prolific career,” said Haymes, who tees off Thursday at 9:06 a.m. off the first tee. “It's incalculable what golf's done for our family. Watching Brandt's success over the years has just been amazing. I mean, my golf's been great, but his golf has been the highlight of my life."

Haymes' path through golf may look far different than his younger brother, but as one of 50 first timers in the 2026 U.S. Senior Open, he's fully embracing what may very well become the most rewarding chapter of his second act in competitive golf.

Austin Eames is the USGA’s summer communications/content intern. Email him at aeames@usga.org.