Hayden Springer had a great day at the opening round of the John Deere Classic on Thursday.
The PGA Tour rookie shot a 12-under 59, the 14th time in PGA Tour history that a player has shot under 60. Amazingly, Springer also broke the John Deere Classic first-round record with the score, tying the 59 shot by Paul Goydos in the same tournament in 2010.
Springer is the second player in three weeks to break 60. Cameron Young shot 59 in the second round of the Travelers Championship in June.
Jim Furyk holds the PGA Tour record with a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
Springer shot 8-under 27 after the first nine holes, which tied the lowest nine-hole score in tournament history, and 32 after the last nine for a total of 59.
“After 27 strokes, I felt like 59 was possible,” he told PGA Tour Radio’s Bill Rosinski.
“I was definitely making a turn in my mind,” Springer said. “It was almost like I felt like I had to make a turn at that point.”
Springer ended his first round with an exclamation point when he sank an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, after sinking an 18-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole and an eagle from 55 yards out on the 17th hole.
Springer finished the round four strokes ahead of runner-up Harry Hall, and the 27-year-old is looking for his first PGA Tour victory.
Springer’s 27 over the first nine holes marked just the 14th time a player has shot 27 or lower on the PGA Tour since 1983. The previous record was 26, set by Corey Pavin in the 2006 U.S. Bank Championship.
What made Springer’s first race even more impressive was that he didn’t qualify. 7 of the last 8 events.
“It was a little tough,” Springer told Lozinski, “so I went back to my coach from growing up and she just kind of pushed me a little bit and helped me get back to the feel of how I’d worked in the past and that helped a little bit.”
