Hayden Springer had an incredible day in his opening round at the John Deere Classic on Thursday.
The PGA Tour rookie shot a 12-under 59. only the fourteenth time a sub-60 round in PGA Tour history. Amazingly, Springer tied the John Deere Classic opening-round record with his score, matching Paul Goydo’s 59 at the 2010 event.
Springer is the second player to break 60 in three weeks. Cameron Young shot a 59 in the second round of the Travelers Championship in June.
Jim Furyk holds the PGA Tour record with a 58 at the Travelers Championship in 2016.
On the front nine, Springer shot an 8-under 27, which matched the tournament’s lowest score through nine holes. He shot a 32 on the back nine to complete his 59 for the round.
After that 27, it looked like a 59 was a possibility for him, he told PGA Tour Radio’s Bill Rosinski.
“I had my head set on the turn, for sure,” Springer said. “It’s almost like you felt like you had to do it at that moment.”
Springer ended his first round with an exclamation point, holing an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole. Before that, he holed an 18-foot birdie putt on the 15th and holed an eagle from 55 yards on the 17th.
Springer’s 27 holes on the front nine also marked just the 14th time anyone has shot 27 or lower on the PGA Tour since 1983. The record is 26, set by Corey Pavin at the 2006 U.S. Bank Championship.
What made Springer’s first round perhaps even more impressive was that he missed the cut in seven of his last eight events.
“It’s been a little bit tough,” Springer told Rosinski. “I talked to an old coach of mine again that I grew up with. She’s straightened me out a little bit, helped me get back some of the feel that I’d worked with in the past. That’s made a little bit of a difference.”
