Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy beaten to PGA record by world No.236

Hayden Springer, ranked 236th in the world, etched his name into golfing history with a remarkable performance at the John Deere Classic's opening round.

The 27-year-old Tennessee native dazzled spectators at TPC Deere Run in Illinois last weekend by carding a sub-60 round, joining an elite club as only the 14th player in PGA Tour history to break the barrier. Springer's achievement is something that tour legends Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy have failed to achieve.

Springer, who secured his tour card in December through qualifying school, delivered what could be described as one of the most extraordinary rounds ever witnessed in the sport. His brilliant bogey-free round was highlighted by an eagle from 55 yards on the 17th and a clutch 12-foot birdie putt on the last hole, placing him on top of the leaderboard at 12 under after the first round.

His faultless performance included six birdies and an eagle on the front nine but a late birdie and eagle following a string of pars at the beginning of the back nine saved his 59 score. Springer reflected on his moment of history, saying: "I'm at a loss for words at being able to do that, one of the rare things in golf. I've shot 61 a few times.

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"I don't even really have words. Like I'm still shaking a little bit. 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."

Springer has now joined the ranks of golfers like Jim Furyk, Kevin Chappell, Brandt Snedeker, Adam Hadwin, Justin Thomas, Stuart Appleby, Paul Goydos, David Duval, Chip Beck, Al Geiberger, and most recently Scottie Scheffler at the TPC Boston in 2020, to complete the feat.

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Furyk is the only golfer to have shot sub-60 twice on the PGA Tour and holds the record for the lowest score of 58 in 2016. Away from the PGA Tour, U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau achieved the same record last year at the LIV Golf Greenbrier title. Springer's front nine score of 27 is the lowest nine-hole score on the tour since the turn of the millennium.

Despite his impressive start, Springer couldn't convert his round one lead into a career-first win but managed to secure another top 10 finish this year. He eventually placed T7, 21 under. Meanwhile, Davis Thompson continued his form by winning the John Deere Classic by four shots on 28 under, following his T9 finish at the U. S. Open last month.