JOHN DEERE CLASSIC

July 4, 2024

Hayden Springer

TPC Deere Run

Quick Quotes

Q. Who is the coach and how long -- when did you start working with him?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Her name is Rosey Bartlett. She's coached me since I was six years old. So I took a little break from her for a couple years and then just these last -- before last week, these last six tournaments missing those cuts I felt like I needed to get something going, so she was able to help me.

Q. Can you identify what you changed?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: A little bit in my setup and just kind of -- I think that's mainly it, mostly setup. But, yeah.

Q. Where do you work with her at? Where you grew up, the club you grew up at?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Yeah, my home golf course at home.

Q. Which is?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Trophy Club Country Club.

THE MODERATOR: Let's go back to first of all, how are you feeling after shooting a 59? Initial thoughts?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: I'm feeling good. Kind of, I don't know, at loss for words in terms of being able to do that. I feel like that's one the rare things in golf, so to kind of have that opportunity and pull it off, it feels pretty special.

Q. Have you ever shot a sub-60 just playing?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: I have not, no. I've shot 61 a few times.

Q. Got a little emotional talking about it. For you, been 15 minutes so probably still settling in had. Over the last couple weeks especially coming off a great finish last week and coming into this, how emotional, kind of special is this moment for you?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Yeah, it's pretty special to be able to do that. Kind of, yeah, I mean, played well last week, but it's been a little bit tough to kind of find anything and get stuff going and go low.

You know, so it is special. It feels good to be standing here and to have shot a good round of golf.

Q. You shot 27 on the front. We keep forgetting that. Course record for nine holes. At what point in the round did you feel like you had something going?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: I think it was on No. 6. I had come up just short of the green on the fringe and probably had a 20-footer and I made that.

I kind of was like, okay, I feel like I'm not missing today. I'm pretty much holing any putt I look at. So probably that putt going in was kind of the trigger of, okay, like we might be able to go super low.

Q. Once you chip in on 17 and the -- did the 59 enter back into your mind? What were the nerves like on 18 maybe knowing what you had a chance to do?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Yeah, when it went in on 17 I immediately knew, okay, now I have a chance.

I mean, 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.

Q. What did you face there? Good lie?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Yeah, I had a really good lie over there. It was like -- it was something like in the mid-50s. I hit it really nice. Kind of landed right where we were looking, just short left, and happened to go in.

Q. How hard is it to block 59 out of your mind on 18 standing over the putter in your approach shot?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: It's like any golf shot, you got to block stuff out if there is trouble on a hole. You kind of get to practice it.

This one is -- there is always a consequence kind od, so I feel like we got a lot of practice of being able to block out different things.

You know, other than that, it's there. You're not going to get away from it. It's not just going to go away. You kind of have to put it out as much as you can and focus on the shot.

Q. Much break on that putt?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: There was a ton of break. It was probably like two feet of break.

Q. You walk off 9 shooting 27. What was your mindset heading into the 10th tee? Were things spinning at that point or not?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Yeah, I thought about it, but just trying to, like always, take it one shot at time and be patient.

I still got to go make birdies to be able to even do it. Just try not to get ahead of myself. But I was thinking about it.

Q. How tough was the early part of the back nine, par after par after par?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: It was getting a little frustrating for me. My caddie, on 15, I mean, that's a fairly straightforward hole. I kind of got a bad lie in the rough and made par there. He was like, it's okay. You're fine. Just be patient.

I think at that point it was kind of going to be tough to go and get it done. But just, yeah, just trying to be patient.

Q. Sounded like you had some nice par saves on the back side that kept things going. Talk about those.

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Yeah, I think I saved one on 12. I left my putt a little bit short, probably six or seven feet short, and made that.

And then it was -- actually it was 14. 14 I had that. -- I didn't make birdie there on a pretty short par-4. Probably had about six feet coming back for par there as well; made that.

And then 16 I chipped it probably that was closer to eight or ten feet and made that as well.

That keeps the momentum going and gives me kind of -- it doesn't feel like a lull in the round when you're saving that putt versus not making.

Q. What did you know about Paul Goydos? Last person to shoot 59 here.

HAYDEN SPRINGER: I think I was pretty young. I know I was watching it. I don't really know much.

Q. Do you know how big his lead was going into Friday?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: I do not.

Q. He had a one-shot lead over Steve Stricker.

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Wow.

Q. Stricker won. I don't want bum you out.

HAYDEN SPRINGER: (Laughter.) Hopefully that doesn't happen.

Q. You got three more rounds to play. How do you put that one behind you? It's special. But get ready for tomorrow.

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Tomorrow is a new day. I don't know what's going to happen. Just try and do the exact same thing I do pretty much every day and go through the same routine, same process, and go from there.

Q. Is you said you watched Goydos' 59. You been watching this tournament before you turned pro?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Oh, yeah. I've been a golf fan for a long time. As a kid I watched a ton of golf. I've watched pretty much every tournament many times.

Q. Perseverance and focus, being able to focus with adversity in your past is kind of your story a little bit with the loss of your child and still getting your card two months later. Is it nice -- first of all, does that give you some inner strength or did you have that from the start?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: I mean, I think it's -- I don't know if it gives me inner strength, but definitely tests you and you kind of have to, you know, just find ways to work through it and to continue to move forward.

You know, most of that is our faith for us, just leaning into that and knowing that we're secure in that.

But I don't know. I mean, we've had some challenging things happen. You know, I think it's -- but at the end of the day I also want to compete and I love doing that.

I think that that drives me to want to make that putt or want to shoot low scores more than anything.

Q. Is it nice to know that that's not the lead of your story now? The lead is you shot a 59 on the PGA TOUR, one of 14 people to go sub-60. That's got to nice to know that's part of your story going forward.

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Yeah, that's a pretty cool list to add my name to.

Q. Is it weird to think about how exclusive that club is? 14 people.

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Yeah.

Q. Weird to think you're part of that club now?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Yeah, that's cool. That's pretty special.

Q. On the other hand, only the second one in a week.

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Sorry?

Q. Only the second one in a week because it happened last week.

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Thank you.

Q. Is that perspective?

HAYDEN SPRINGER: Yeah.