How TCU’s Hayden Springer defeated the world’s top-ranked amateur for the Big 12 title

Oklahoma State’s Viktor Hovland is the world’s top-ranked amateur golfer. He sat in famed Butler Cabin earlier this month as the low amateur at the Masters.

Most would have predicted Hovland would win the Big 12 men’s golf championship at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, on Sunday, especially when he started the final round as co-leader alongside TCU senior Hayden Springer at 8-under.

But Springer embraced the challenge and made clutch putt after clutch putt en route to the individual title Sunday. He shot an even-par 70, one better than Hovland’s 71, to claim his first collegiate championship at 8-under 202.

“I’m pretty excited. I’m pretty pumped,” Springer told the Star-Telegram on the phone minutes after the victory. “It’s surreal. I haven’t really been able to digest it yet, but I’m just super excited. I’m really happy.”

Springer, who played at Byron Nelson High School in Trophy Club and then had a stint at Texas Tech before landing at TCU, opened the tournament with a 6-under 64 and had a 2-under 68 in the second round as he was a wire-to-wire leader.

A perk of winning the title for Springer includes a spot in the PGA Tour’s A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in September.

Springer couldn’t have scripted a more dramatic final round.

Things got off to a promising start when Springer jumped out to a two-stroke lead with a birdie on No. 1, as Hovland opened with a bogey. Springer’s lead extended to three shots after the 12th when Hovland had another bogey.

But by the 16th, both were tied again. Springer made bogeys on Nos. 13 and 15, and Hovland birdied No. 14 to close the gap.

“That got my attention a little bit, but I knew I was still tied with him,” Springer said. “It was a match-play situation. I just had to stay patient, keep hitting fairways, keep hitting greens and not give him anything.”

Springer delivered on the par-4 16th. Hovland’s tee shot landed in the left rough, while Springer found the right rough. But Springer knocked his approach to 15-20 feet of the pin, and Hovland chunked it out of the rough short of the green.

Springer two-putted for par, making a 4-foot comebacker, and Hovland bogeyed, giving Springer a one-shot lead going into the par-5 17th.

On No. 17, Springer had a little bit longer birdie putt than Hovland. Springer drained his, a 15-footer, and Hovland followed suit.

A par on No. 18 sealed the victory for Springer, as he knocked off amateur golf’s best player.

“I was really focused on embracing that challenge,” Springer said. “Getting to play against him, the No. 1 amateur in the world and low amateur at the Masters, it was a challenge I wanted to embrace.

“I felt like I could hang with him and wanted to see if that was true. This time, I was able to get it done.”

Springer had a good feeling about the tournament early on.

To close his first-round 64, he made a 10-foot par putt on No. 18 to complete a bogey-free round. Then he went on to make several 12- to 15-foot par putts, and even knocked in a 40-footer for birdie on No. 4 on Sunday.

“I drove the ball really well, and then I made a ton of putts,” Springer said. “That was the difference.”

Springer is TCU’s first golfer to win individual honors at the Big 12 championship since Julien Brun in 2014. The Frogs finished second as a team, their best finish since joining the Big 12.

Hovland and Oklahoma State took the team title back to Stillwater.

TCU’s David Ravetto and Texas’ Cole Hammer both finished tied for third at 6-under. Baylor’s Garrett May and Texas Tech’s Sandy Scott were tied for fifth at 5-under.

Next up for Springer and TCU is the NCAA Regionals from May 12-15 at a course to be determined.

“This is a big boost of confidence,” Springer said. “It’s always nice to win and be ‘on’ for a few days and play some great golf. Finishing second as a team is a big boost for us, too. I’m looking forward to the next few weeks.

“Hopefully we can get it done at regionals and go to nationals.”

This story was originally published April 28, 2019 at 3:42 PM.