“That putt going in was kind of the trigger” – Sub-60 hero Hayden Springer details the exact moment he realized he could ‘go super low’

Hayden Springer was on fire during the first round of the 2024 John Deere Classic, shooting one of the lowest rounds in PGA Tour history. The American golfer carded a 59 to take the lead in the tournament.

Springer started smoothly with an eagle, followed by birdies on the next four holes. After making three consecutive birdies following the eagle, he realized he was on pace for something extraordinary.

Speaking to the media, Springer revealed that as his 20-foot birdie sank on the 5th hole, he gained confidence that he would perform well in the event. He said (via Golf Week):

"That putt going in was kind of the trigger of, OK, like we might be able to go super low."

He carded six birdies on the front nine along with an eagle, scoring 27, the lowest nine-hole score on the PGA Tour since 2000. On the back nine, he parred the first four holes before adding a birdie on the par-4 15th hole. He shot an eagle on the 17th, further boosting his confidence heading into the final hole of the first round.

Speaking of his eagle on the 17th, Springer said (via Golf Week):

"It landed right where we were looking, just short left, and happened to go in. I didn’t ever think I would make that shot really, but it kind of changed the momentum to actually be able to go shoot 59. I immediately knew, OK, now I have a chance.”

On the 466-yard, par-4 18th hole, off Springer's tee shot, the ball traveled 308 yards, leaving him 155 yards away from the hole. His second shot traveled 153 yards. Springer then made a final 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, securing a birdie to finish with a score of 59 to top the leaderboard.

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“It’s like something you dream of"- Hayden Springer on his performance at the 2024 John Deere Classic

Hayden Springer became emotional during the post-round press conference at the 2024 John Deere Classic. He had struggled on the PGA Tour earlier this year and had not expected to shoot such a low score. However, he played remarkably well and went on to record a record-breaking round on Thursday.

Speaking of his performance, Hayden Springer said (via Golf Week):

“It’s like something you dream of, right? We all want to go out and shoot 59. You don’t ever really — I don’t know how many chances I’ll ever get at doing that again.To pull it off and hole that shot on 17 and give myself a putt at it and make the putt on 18 was pretty special.”

It is important to note that before Springer, Cameron Young shot a round of 59 at the Travelers Championship just a couple of weeks ago. So far, only 14 players have shot a sub-60 round on the PGA Tour, with Jim Furyk recording the lowest at 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.

Springer took a two-stroke lead at the John Deere Classic over Sami Valimaki, who scored 10-under 61 on Thursday. Eric Cole settled in third place, followed by Davis Thompson, Harry Hall, Chan Kim, and Luke Clanton, all tied for fourth place. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, July 7.