PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — The fog began to roll in off the coast of Pebble Beach, though it didn’t matter. Brandt Snedeker had the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in hand, and he had a clear view of where he was going.

There is no better wait than on the 18th tee at Pebble Beach. For Snedeker, there was no better feeling than walking up the famous closing hole with a four-shot lead, his ball in the middle of the fairway and a big reward for a lot of hard work and hard times.

A conservative par gave him a 5-under 67 and a three-shot victory Sunday, and it brought a renewed sense of direction.

“I think I’m relevant again,” Snedeker said after his second win at Pebble Beach in three years.

For the first time in more than three years, Snedeker fell out of the top 50 in the world at the end of last year after his worst season on the PGA Tour. He wasn’t in the Masters or any of the World Golf Championships. He already was making plans to play new tournaments. He was going to play every week until the Masters to give himself every chance to secure another tee time at Augusta National.

All that changed in one week that was close to perfect.

Snedeker made only one bogey over 72 holes on three golf courses, and it still gnawed at him even as he left the room with a crystal trophy. He didn’t have a three-putt, no small feat on poa annua greens played on by 156 players and 156 amateurs over three days.

He’s in the Masters. By moving up to No. 31 in the world, he can count on all four World Golf Championships. He’s also in the PGA Championship (he already was eligible for the U.S. Open based on his top 10 at Pinehurst No. 2 last year). Snedeker was irritated at the thought the world best players might gather without him.

He didn’t like being Mr. Irrelevant.

“Not fun,” he said. “Not when you’re used to it. I don’t like playing golf and not feeling like I can compete and win. For six months, eight months of last year I didn’t feel I could do that. I didn’t feel like my game was where it needed to be, it wasn’t sharp.”

He began working with Butch Harmon to understand his swing and how to play the game. That took time. And when the 2015 season began, it was time for him to prove all over that he belonged in the big events.

“This is going to be hopefully the kind of player I am for many years going forward,” he said.

That didn’t make Sunday at Pebble Beach easy. Snedeker might have looked calm during the final 5 1/2 hours. He was a wreck inside, especially in the early going when it appeared that any number of players would have a chance.

Jim Furyk had a one-shot lead and disappeared early with a 38 on the front nine, though it was three birdie putts inside 10 feet that really cost him.