PALM HARBOR, Fla. — For a brief, shining moment on Sunday at the Valspar Championship, it looked like the improbable was about to unfold.

Making his 13th appearance at Innisbrook Resort's Copperhead Course and heading into the back nine of the tournament, 45-year-old Brandt Snedeker was in a five-way tie for the lead, playing in the final group.

His playing partner, Sungjae Im, had fumbled his two-shot lead with a front-nine 40, leaving the tournament wide open. And Snedeker's immaculate short game, which carried him to a perfect 11-for-11 in Scrambling in Round 3, was coming in clutch once again with up-and-downs on hole Nos. 1, 3, 4, 7 and 8 to make the turn in even par.

"Nobody expects me to be here," said the nine-time PGA TOUR winner after his third round on Saturday. But he had a new, deadly putter in the bag and the belief that the pieces of his game were finally coming together.

But then came the back nine on Sunday.

"Stood on the 10th tee tied for the lead, which is all you can do," said Snedeker after the final round. "My swing left me on the back nine. I really struggled. I couldn't really find anything to go to, to put the ball where I wanted to. This golf course, it's a perfectly designed golf course, if you get out of position it's going to punish you."

Snedeker missed birdie opportunities from 15 feet on the 10th and 11th holes. The wheels slowly started to fall off with a sloppy double bogey – where he needed four shots inside 60 feet – on the par-4 12th hole, followed by bogeys on Nos. 13, 16 and 17 en route to a final-round 76. He finished T18 – his best result in a season marked by four missed cuts – and seven shots behind winner Matt Fitzpatrick.

"It's frustrating, it sucks, and all the good stuff this week kind of feels like I threw it away today," said Snedeker. "But that's part of golf, that's why I love this challenge, and I'll come back next week and try to figure out what I did wrong and try to fix it."

Snedeker will be captaining this year's squad of Americans in the Presidents Cup, and he shut down any discourse of becoming a playing captain earlier in the week: "Let's not even talk crazy here," he said. "There's no chance, no chance."

"My focus has been split all year," he said on Sunday. "I want to make sure I play some good golf out here, but more importantly, I want to make sure I do a good job being Presidents Cup captain. I'm watching, talking to the guys, and trying to see how they're playing. Excited to see Patrick (Cantlay) play well today. Excited to see Xander (Schauffele) play well today."

"That's part of the great thing about being a captain still playing, I can be out here and kind much compete with 'em."

Even as Copperhead bit back today, the fire to compete – and contend – still burns strong in this captain.