Hayden Springer cards round of 59 – eight months after death of daughter

World No236 leads John Deere Classic in Illinois after stunning first round – becoming only the 14th player in PGA Tour history to break 60 following traumatic few years

Rick Broadbent

Thursday July 04 2024, 11.00pm, The Times

Springer said a challenging few year away from the golf course had driven him on after a birdie on the 18th hole sealed a round of 59 in the first round of the John Deere Classic in Illinois
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Rick Broadbent

Thursday July 04 2024, 11.00pm, The Times

Hayden Springer shot a round of 59 at the John Deere Classic in Illinois on Thursday. That was only the 14th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history, but the stats only scrape the surface of a story of hope, tragedy and resilience.

The 27-year-old from Tennessee, who finally earned his Tour card in December after a career of toil, has endured a traumatic few years.

In November, his daughter, Sage, died at the age of three. She had a rare chromosomal condition called Trisomy 18, and Springer and his wife, Emma, had been advised not to take a car seat or baby clothes to hospital after her birth as she was expected to live for only a couple of days. She defied medical expectation, but it meant Springer had to juggle his sporting ambitions with night sleeping at the hospital during her stays. In 2021, Sage had heart surgery after her father had played in a mini-tour event.

So it was good to see Springer enjoy some career success. “I don’t know if it gives me inner strength,” he said of the personal and professional experiences of the past year. “It definitely tests you and you have to find ways to work through it and to continue to move forward.

Springer with his wife Emma and their daughters Annie Claire, left, and Sage, right, who died last November aged three

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“We’ve had some challenging things happen, but at the end of the day I also want to compete and I love doing that. That drives me to want to make that putt or shoot low scores.” Springer and his wife now run the Extra To Love foundation to help other families dealing with Trisomy 13 and 18.

Springer, who was outside the world’s top 1,000 players last year but is now the No236, is unusual in having a female coach, Rosey Bartlett. “She’s coached me since I was six years old,” he said after his landmark round. “These last six tournaments I was missing cuts and I felt like I needed to get something going and she was able to help.”

He had missed five consecutive cuts on the PGA Tour until he tied for tenth at the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week, and needed to hold his nerve to sink a 12-foot putt to join the elite sub-60 club. Quirkily, his 59 came quick on the heels of Cameron Young also carding a 59 at the Travelers Championship.

Springer’s round was also remarkable in that it included a run of five pars after the turn. However he finished eagle-birdie and had been eight under after his opening nine. He leads the tournament by two shots from Finland’s Sami Valimaki.

Sub-60 rounds (* means player won event)

PGA Tour
58 Jim Furyk, final round, 2016 Travelers Championship.
59 Al Geiberger, second round, 1977 Memphis Classic. *
59 Chip Beck, third round, 1991 Las Vegas Invitational.
59 David Duval, final round, 1999 Bob Hope Invitational. *
59 Paul Goydos, first round, 2010 John Deere Classic.
59 Stuart Appleby, final round, 2010 Greenbrier Classic. *
59 Jim Furyk, second round, 2013 BMW Championship.
59 Justin Thomas, first round, 2017 Sony Open. *
59 Adam Hadwin, third round, 2017 CareerBuilder Challenge.
59 Brandt Snedeker, first round, 2018 Wyndham Championship. *
59 Kevin Chappell, second round, 2019 Military Tribute at Greenbrier.
59 Scottie Scheffler, second round, 2020 The Northern Trust.
59 Cameron Young, third round, 2024 Travelers Championship.
59 Hayden Springer, first round, 2024 John Deere Classic.