Hayden Springer caught fire late Thursday, sinking three birdies in his final four holes to grab a share of the lead at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. His impressive 6-under 65 puts him tied at the top with Justin Lower as darkness halted play.
It’s a clutch performance for Springer, who’s fighting for his PGA Tour future. He’s sitting right on the bubble at No. 125 in the FedExCup standings – the last spot that keeps full playing privileges for next year.
Name
Events
Top 10
Money
Hayden Springer
27
4
$1,048,240
Lower’s already safe for next season at No. 95, and he’s riding high after finishing second just last week in Mexico.
They’re both one shot clear of Patrick Rodgers, Joseph Bramlett, and Kevin Dougherty, though Dougherty still needs to finish his 18th hole when play resumes Friday morning.
“It’s nice to get off to a good start,” Springer said, trying to stay focused on the present rather than the pressure of his situation. “I think I need it as much as anybody.”
He’s been here before. Earlier this year, Springer shot one of only two sub-60 rounds on Tour at the John Deere Classic in July. But that hot start cooled off with a 71 the next day.
“There’s so much golf left,” he admitted. “It’s easy to kind of get ahead of yourself.”
Lower took advantage of calmer morning conditions, playing a clean round without a single bogey. The wind picked up later, making Springer’s afternoon charge even more impressive.
On his final stretch, Springer drained a long bonus birdie putt on 15, survived the treacherous oceanside 16th, and finished with two more birdies including a perfect roll on 18 that left him just 6 feet from the cup.
Lower’s hoping to follow a fascinating trend – just last year, Camilo Villegas finished second in Mexico before winning in Bermuda the very next week.
“Crossed my mind, for sure,” Lower said with a smile. “But we still have 54 holes to go. Saturday looks pretty miserable weather-wise.”
Kevin Kisner, who’s been splitting time between playing and NBC’s broadcast booth during a tough season, shot a solid 67. He’s tied with Jhonattan Vegas, one of just three players in the field already locked into next year’s Masters.
Vegas had quite the wild ride, making only one par in his first 12 holes while racking up seven birdies and four bogeys.
“It was a little bit of a roller coaster for sure,” Vegas laughed.
Lucas Glover, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 48 in the world, opened with a 68.
Twenty-one players will finish their first rounds Friday morning before jumping right into round two.
