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Brent Snyder, the Director of Instruction at Troy Burne Golf Club just south of Hudson, has dominated the Minnesota professional golf season this year with eight victories in 19 tournaments. Among those wins were two "majors" on the Minnesota professional golf scene, the Minnesota PGA Section Championship in August and last week, the Minnesota PGA Match Play Championship.

Snyder accomplished the same double in 2013, winning the Section and Match Play Championships. It was the same year he won the Minnesota Player of the Year award - the only time in the past 22 years it had not gone to either Don Berry or Jeff Sorenson. With his recent victories, Snyder is the lead contender for the Minnesota Player of the Year award.

Perhaps the awards he is most proud of are being named 2015 Minnesota PGA Teacher of the Year and this year being named by Golf Digest as one of the Top 100 Golf Instructors Under the Age of Forty.

Snyder speaks highly of Troy Burne Golf Club - the championship golf course, the head pro Dave Tentis (a member of the Minnesota Golf Hall of Fame), the staff, and the incredible atmosphere for golf they jointly produce. When one considers that Golf Digest also recognized Troy Burne as one the Top 100 Public Golf Courses this year - ranking it 69th - it is rather exceptional that Troy Burne has both Tentis and Snyder as teaching professionals. Snyder operates from Troy Burne during the summer golf season and in the winter, he runs Brent Snyder Golf in St Paul at the Midwest Golf Dome.

A native of the St. Croix River Valley, Snyder lived in Stillwater, played golf at Mahtomedi High School, and lived in Europe, Colorado, and Georgia before returning to the Hudson area in 2007 to become an Assistant Professional at Troy Burne under Tentis. When he lived in Georgia, he got to know many top instructors as well as world-class players such as Zach Johnson, Davis Love III, and Matt Kuchar. From them he learned many of the finer attributes of character and the focus it takes to be an outstanding professional golfer.

Snyder has a degree in business from the University of Denver and has always been interested in serving and helping other people. Golf was the perfect outlet for a person aimed at service, teaching and the operational side of golf. He takes enormous pride in the many students he has had over the years compete on high school and college teams as well as others who have gone on to the professional ranks. He is also proud that in tournaments his older brother is almost always his caddy, and when he is not on the bag, his wife Courtney is. And when it comes to putting, Snyder says "She can see the line!"

Snyder played in the 2015 PGA Championships at Whistling Straits and has played in seven PGA Championships for club professionals. His playing successes have left him with three thoughts to share with the everyday golfer: keep it simple, be creative, and understand the clubface.

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