Hayden Springer posts eagle-birdie finish for 59 at John Deere

On Thursday, Hayden Springer etched his name into the history books by recording the 14th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history, closing with a spectacular eagle-birdie finish to achieve a 12-under 59 at the John Deere Classic. This remarkable feat places him alongside an exclusive group of golfers who have broken the 60-barrier.

Springer started his round with a blistering 27 on the front nine at the rain-softened TPC Deere Run. Despite a string of five pars on the back nine, Springer remained focused and holed a 55-yard shot for eagle on the par-5 17th. Needing a birdie on the 18th to break 60, he left himself a 12-foot putt, which he sank confidently.

“Kind of at a loss for words in terms of being able to do that,” Springer expressed after his round. “I feel like that’s one of the rare things in golf, so to have that opportunity and pull it off, it feels pretty special.”

Jim Furyk holds the PGA Tour record with a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship, and he is among the 13 other golfers who have posted a 59. While breaking 60 remains a significant milestone, it has become slightly more common as players’ skills improve. Springer is the second player in three weeks to achieve this feat, following Cameron Young’s 59 at the Travelers Championship.

Globally, Springer’s round marks the eighth sub-60 score this year, with the lowest being a 57 by Cristobal del Solar of Chile on the Korn Ferry Tour in Colombia. At TPC Deere Run, Springer tied the course record set by Paul Goydos, who also shot a 59 during the 2010 John Deere Classic. Interestingly, Goydos only held a one-shot lead that year, as Steve Stricker shot a 60 on the same day and eventually won the tournament.

Springer’s morning round gave him a four-shot lead over Harry Hall among the early starters. The course conditions, softened by overnight rain and with little wind, were favorable, and players were allowed to lift, clean, and place their golf balls on the fairway. Springer capitalized on these conditions, starting with a 12-foot eagle putt on the second hole and a chip-in from 60 feet for birdie on the third. He followed with birdies on the next three holes and concluded the front nine with short birdie putts on the eighth and ninth holes.

A birdie putt from the fringe on the 11th hole, his 10th hole of the day, sparked the realization that a historic round was within reach. “I was like: ‘OK, I feel like I’m not missing today. I’m pretty much holing any putt I look at,'” Springer recalled. “So probably that putt going in was kind of the trigger of, ‘OK, we might be able to go super low.'”

Springer’s journey to this moment has been marked by personal challenges. He had missed five consecutive cuts, putting his PGA Tour card at risk. He played a Korn Ferry Tour event during the U.S. Open week and managed to secure a tie for 10th place in Detroit the previous week, signaling a return to form. However, his biggest test came off the course. In 2021, his infant daughter, Sage, was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, a condition that usually leads to a short life expectancy. Sage lived until the age of three, passing away on November 13, just a month before Springer faced Q-School. Despite this immense emotional strain, Springer secured his PGA Tour card and now joins the record books with his sub-60 round.

Reflecting on his journey, Springer said, “I don’t know if it gives me inner strength, but it definitely tests you, and you kind of have to find ways to work through it and continue to move forward. Most of that is our faith for us, just leaning into that and knowing that we’re secure in that. We’ve had some challenging things happen, but at the end of the day, I also want to compete, and I love doing that.”

Kevin Chappell was among those who shot a 64, while Jordan Spieth had to scramble for a 69 and faces the challenge of making the cut on Friday. As for Springer, he became the fourth player on the PGA Tour to shoot a 59 in the opening round, joining Justin Thomas (Sony Open in 2017) and Brandt Snedeker (Wyndham Championship in 2018), both of whom went on to win. The exception was Paul Goydos at the John Deere Classic.