Texan Springs into lead at Manitoba Open

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This article was published 25/08/2023 (1091 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Never let ‘em see you sweat. That certainly wasn’t a problem for a calm and cool Hayden Springer on Friday, as the talented Texan shrugged off a blustery turn in the weather and soared to the top of the Manitoba Open leaderboard.

Springer, 26, carries a three-stroke lead into the weekend at Southwood Golf and Country Club after rounds of 66-65 on the par-72 track just south of Winnipeg.

“No, I wasn’t cold. This is nice in August, to not even have a drip of sweat,” said Springer, who is used to triple-digit (fahrenheit) temperatures this time of year in his home state.

After a hot and humid start to the tournament on Thursday with only a slight breeze, Mother Nature gave the course some much-needed bite in the form of windy, chilly conditions Friday. That had the majority of players struggling to come close to their opening round scores.

Californian Devon Bling, for example, followed up his sizzling 62 with a 74 to tumble down the leaderboard. Not so for Springer.

“When it’s this windy, hitting greens is kind of key,” said Springer, a former college standout at Texas Christian University now in his fourth year as a professional golfer and seeking his first victory. “I was able to make some putts and get some birdies going. Just kind of grind and be patient whenever it was windy. But it’s tough. It was tough.”

A foursome of golfers are sitting at 10-under par through 36 holes. That includes a trio of Canadians including Johnny Travale of Ontario (63-71), Joey Savoie of Quebec (65-69) and Jared du Toit of Alberta (67-67).

“One-hundred and 80 degrees, not even the same golf course,” Savoie said of the differences between rounds. “It was a battle today. You definitely had to keep the ball in play, keep it low. It was definitely a good test on this links track.”

Savoie, 29, is just happy to be standing upright, as a bout of food poisoning earlier this week had him battling “the digestive system” and hovering over a toilet for much on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“I don’t know what I ate, but it was a rough start to the Winnipeg trip, for sure,” said Savoie, who will be looking to finish it with a trophy celebration on Sunday afternoon.

American Tommy Kuhl (65-69) is the other player at 10-under. Some golf fans may recognize the name, as the recent Illinois graduate shot a course record 62 in a U.S. Open qualifier earlier this summer, then realized after the fact he had broken a little-known rule (fixing the aerated green marks) and disqualified himself as a result.

 “I’ve dreamed about playing on the PGA Tour and winning on the PGA Tour for a really long time. I hope that I can get there. We have the support around us right now that can give me the opportunity to be here and play and just do my best.”–Hayden Springer

Thomas Giroux of Ontario (64-71) and Harrison Ott of Wisconsin (67-68) are four shots behind Springer at nine-under, while six golfers including Bling are in a pack at eight-under.

The field of 156 golfers was cut down to the top 60, with the benchmark ultimately set at three-under after Selkirk’s Travis Fredborg, playing in the final group of the day, birdied the 18th hole just as darkness was starting to settle in. Not only did that get Fredborg into the weekend at three-under, it sent 24 other players who were sitting at two-under home without a paycheque. A par by Fredborg would have meant a cut of two-under.

Thirteen of the 33 Canadian players who teed it up this week have made it to the weekend, including six currently in the top 11. A homegrown talent hasn’t won the Manitoba Open since Graham DeLaet did it in 2009.

Everyone will be looking to chase down Springer, who got off to a “dream start” on Thursday with birdies on six of his first seven holes.

“It just kind of starts clicking when you can get off to a hot start like that. You can have sort of a cushion, kind of have some room. I don’t think I’ve ever done that,” he said.

Springer is playing in his fifth PGA Tour Canada event of the summer, with a tie for ninth in Quebec last month his best finish so far. Staying aggressive will be key.

“We know, for the most part, if the weather’s good everybody out here makes a ton of birdies. You’re probably going to have to keep it going and make a ton of birdies,” he said of his mindset.

“I can control the things I can control. Hopefully I can do that better than everybody else. Hit fairways, hit greens, hopefully keep the putter going but not make it too complicated.”

Springer is an easy guy to root for on a human interest level.

His daughter, Sage, was born in 2020 with Trisomy 18, an extremely rare genetic disorder that is often fatal. He and his wife, Emma, have since started a charitable foundation to help other families experiencing similar difficulties. The little girl, who will soon turn three, still requires around-the-clock care but has made significant strides.

“Everybody’s good. Sage is doing well. She’ll be three in October. There’s stuff here and there that will always be part of our lives, little illnesses and different things. But for the most part she’s strong and happy and we’re doing everything we can to give her the best life we possibly can,” said Springer.

He credited his wife and both their extended families for creating an essential support system that allows him to be up here in Canada chasing his professional dreams, which he hopes will ultimately bring him closer to home.

“I’ve dreamed about playing on the PGA Tour and winning on the PGA Tour for a really long time,” said Springer. A victory this week would certainly go a long way in that regard.

“I hope that I can get there. We have the support around us right now that can give me the opportunity to be here and play and just do my best.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg