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

[TopFrog]

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

By Drew Davison

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.

Read more here: https://www.star-telegram.com/sport...niversity/article229785954.html#storylink=cpy

 

[Wog68]

A tremendous win! Congrats!!

 

[Limp Lizard]

Great win for TCU golf.

 

[fwfrog]

Nice!

 

[JogginFrog]

Big 12 Radio interview with Springer coming up:

 

[jake102]

So we're a rifle, equestrian and golf school.

 

[JogginFrog]

Springer's win may play a role in the national player of the year discussion. The competition for the Haskins Award is very close this year between Viktor Hovland (3 wins, 68.61 scoring avg.), his OSU teammate Matthew Wolff (5 wins, 68.62) and Cal's Collin Morikawa (2 wins, 68.60).

Wolff probably has a slight edge at the moment based on total wins. (One podcaster likes to refer to Hovland as "the second-best player on his college team.") Hovland also missed a couple of college tournaments while playing the Masters, Bay Hill and Mayakoba PGA Tour events, so he needs tournament wins to close the gap.

The Big 12 title would have boosted Hovland's candidacy, especially since Morikawa won the Pac 12 title. But Springer got in the way of Hovland's plans, so he'll have to move on to regionals and nationals to make his case.