COLUMBUS, Ohio – TCU senior Hayden Springer from Trophy Club, Texas, briefly went into shock when he heard the roar from behind the 16th green on Friday in the final round of the 115th Trans-Mississippi Amateur Championship. He had hit his 9-iron exactly where he wanted – to the left of the flagstick and well past it – knowing the sloped green funnels hard down to the right.
The shot spun back some 35 feet and finished in the bottom of the cup. The ace pushed Springer into a tie for the lead of the prestigious championship. Two pars on the final holes gave him a final round 4-under 68 and the coveted victory at Brookside Golf & Country Club.
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“That was incredible. I was not expecting it,” said Springer, who won by a single shot over incoming Texas freshman Pierceson Coody from Plano, Texas, and 2017 Augusta State graduate Jake Marriott from Naples, Fla. “That was my first hole in one in competition. It kind of felt like things were going my way after that.”
Indeed they were. On postcard-perfect weather day at an old-school course that demands accuracy and patience, no less than four players took turns holding the lead during the championship’s final 90 minutes. Low Mid-Amateur winner Justin Tereshko from Lexington, Ky., started the day with a two-shot lead and held it for much of the final day. Marriott birdied holes 10, 11 and 12 to tie Tereshko, who fell back with three back-nine bogeys. Coody moved the top of the leaderboard with his fourth birdie of the day, a tap-in on the 527-yard par-5 11th after he narrowly missed his eagle attempt.
Marriott pushed ahead again with a short birdie on the 15th. He was walking in the 17th fairway when he heard the gallery behind him on No. 16 cry out after Springer’s ace. It was the fourth hole-in-one on the picturesque, uphill par 3.
“Obviously, I knew what it was,” Marriott said. “I didn’t know who made it, though. I just tried to stick to my game plan and keep playing.”
Marriott missed his par putt on No. 17, which cracked the door open for Springer. He made a delicate up-and-down from the left side of the 17th green to make par. He finished in a way that would’ve made Ben Hogan proud: fairway, green, two-putt par for the championship. Springer shot 67-68 in the final two rounds to score the victory.
“This is the biggest accomplishment I’ve had in golf, and I’m going to remember it forever,” said Springer, who in 2016 won a four-for-one Monday Qualifier playoff and competed in the PGA Tour’s FedEx St. Jude Classic. “I’ve dreamed of this for a long time and it means a lot to me. It really does.”
Springer now adds his name to the Trans-Miss Amateur Championship trophy next to the likes of Jack Nicklaus and Ben Crenshaw.
“It’s surreal,” Springer said. “I can’t even believe it.”
Marriott and Coody, who tied for second at 14-under 274, both said there were plenty of positives to take away from the week at Brookside. Marriott said he wanted to put himself into a position to win, and he did just that. Coody had a similar outlook.
“Coming down the stretch I knew what I had to do after I bogeyed No. 10,” said Coody, who in June won the AJGA’s Thunderbird Invitational. “I really had to focus and play well. I gave myself a lot of opportunities, but I didn’t quite capitalize on all my wedge shots. It was a solid week, and second place is never bad in a tournament this strong.”
Four players tied for fourth place, including Tereshko, Jacob Bridgeman from Inman, S.C., Haydn Barron from Perth, Australia, and Brandon Smith from Frisco, Texas. They all posted 12-under 276. Zander Lozano from Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas, shared third place with Mitchell Malcom from New Germany, South Africa, and Michael Perras from Pasadena, Texas.
The 2019 U.S. Walker Cup Captain Nathaniel Crosby was on hand for the championship. Crosby won the 1981 U.S. Amateur, which propelled him to earn a spot on the 1983 Walker Cup team that prevailed over Great Britain & Ireland at Royal Liverpool in Hoylake, England. Now he comes full circle, as he’ll lead the U.S. team next year at the same historic links course.
He said he enjoyed his time at Brookside while he watched some of the top amateurs in the country anticipation of building next year’s squad.
“Right now I’m trying to familiarize myself with some of the players who might be choices for the committee and me in a year and half so I can see how they progress,” Crosby said. “I’m trying to go to some of the best amateur golf tournaments right now. It’s fun to watch these amateurs play and progress as the move up the World Amateur Golf Rankings.”
It’s been a fantastic week at Brookside Golf & Country Club, and the Trans-Miss staff extends its most sincere appreciation to the club members and staff for all their hard work in making the tournament such a memorable event. Several Brookside members pitched in throughout the week with volunteer duties.
Extra special thanks are due to General Manager Matt Ruehling, Head Golf Professional Brad Zeitner and his great staff, Golf Course Superintendent Carl Wittenauer and his tireless grounds crew, Controller/Assistant GM Max Reed, Food and Beverage Director Jason Tewart, Beverage Manager Mike Turner, Executive Chef John Beck, Membership/Marketing Director Daniel Hug and Director of Events Callan Hash.
Additionally, we want to thank all our dedicated volunteers for their efforts throughout the week and the entire season. The Trans-Miss staff could not conduct these elite tournaments without a total team effort. We thank everyone involved.
For more information on the championship, click here.
115th Trans-Miss Amateur Championship
Brookside Golf & Country Club
Columbus, Ohio
July 13, 2018
FINAL RESULTS
Pos. Player Hometown R1 R2 R3 R4 Total Gross
1 Springer, Hayden Trophy Club, TX 70 68 67 68 273
T2 Coody, Pierceson Plano, TX 66 71 68 69 274
T2 Marriott, Jake Naples, FL 70 65 71 68 274
T4 Bridgeman, Jacob Inman, SC 74 67 66 69 276
T4 Barron, Haydn Perth, WA 71 69 70 66 276
T4 Tereshko, Justin Lexington, KY 66 69 68 73 276
T4 Smith, Brandon Frisco, TX 67 77 66 66 276
T8 Lozano, Zander F.O. Ranch, TX 67 71 69 70 277
T8 Mitchell, Malcolm Germany, KZN 71 69 68 69 277
T8 Perras, Michael Pasadena, TX 70 68 71 68 277
T11 Erickson, Dan C. Station, TX 70 70 67 71 278
T11 Winstead, Trey B. Rouge, LA 69 68 70 71 278
T13 Thomas, Chip Knoxville, TN 68 68 73 70 279
T13 Salinda, Isaiah San Fran, CA 64 75 71 69 279
T13 Smalley, Alex G’boro, NC 70 68 68 73 279
T13 Padgett, Wells Wichita, KS 72 70 67 70 279
T17 Lee, Walker Houston, TX 72 68 69 71 280
T17 Hale, William Blaine Dallas, TX 71 69 70 70 280
T17 Barbaree, Philip S’port, LA 71 72 68 69 280
T17 Hillier, Charles Lawrence, KS 75 68 68 69 280
T17 Laskin, David Elk Grove, CA 68 72 74 66 280
T22 Townsend, Gray Dallas, TX 69 69 71 72 281
T22 Smith, Zach Goleta, CA 73 66 68 74 281
T24 Hutchins, Matt Naples, FL 70 65 76 71 282
T24 Morgan, Jediah H.Vale, QLD 72 67 70 73 282
T24 Vining, Tom Sioux Falls, SD 67 71 71 73 282
T24 Ieremia, Denzel Ames, IA 72 72 70 68 282
T28 Walker, Matthew Ottumwa, IA 70 73 69 71 283
T28 Barker, Lachlan Willunga, SA 72 72 70 69 283
T28 Piot, James Canton, MI 73 69 72 69 283
T31 Bennett, Brett H. Beach, CA 71 67 74 72 284
T31 Spencer, Andy P. Village, KS 68 70 71 75 284
T31 Travale, Johnathan Victoria, BC 70 74 67 73 284
T34 Lyras, John Sydney, NSW 69 71 70 75 285
T34 Ullestad, Trevor Jewell, IA 71 67 73 74 285
T34 Artac, Wes Leander, TX 70 74 69 72 285
T37 Hutchison, Thomas San Jose, CA 70 71 71 74 286
T37 Sanders, Michael Davidson, NC 69 73 72 72 286
T37 Doyle, Ben La Jolla, CA 73 70 72 71 286
T37 Majors, Draegen Tulsa, OK 73 71 71 71 286
T37 Williamson, Andrew Plainview, TX 72 71 74 69 286
T42 Steyn, Marco C. Town, WC 70 71 72 74 287
T42 Cummins, Quade W’ford, OK 72 71 72 72 287
T44 Squires, Austin Union, KY 72 69 74 73 288
T44 Barela, Griffin Lakewood, CO 73 70 71 74 288
T44 Ott, AJ Fort Collins, CO 73 70 72 73 288
T44 Gore, Tanner El Paso, TX 75 68 76 69 288
T44 Larkin, Wyatt M’ton, GA 74 68 74 72 288
T44 Moorman, Alex Centerville, IA 72 72 73 71 288
T44 Painton, Spencer Aurora, CO 74 70 71 73 288
T44 Wilcox, Sean Frisco, TX 71 73 72 72 288
T52 Cress, Michael C’bus, OH 72 68 75 74 289
T52 Sigel, Ben D’ven, MN 72 69 75 73 289
T52 Saulez, Matt N’ham Rd, KZN 71 73 73 72 289
T52 Anderson, Scott C’bus, OH 71 73 71 74 289
T56 Korte, Chris Littleton, CO 70 74 75 71 290
T56 Staiano, Jake Cherry Hills, CO 75 69 74 72 290
T58 Soosman, Spencer W. Village, CA 70 73 73 75 291
T58 Hahn, Jordan Spring Grove, IL 73 71 71 76 291
T58 Lowe, Matthew F’dale, NY 71 71 72 77 291
T61 Coody, Parker Plano, TX 71 70 80 71 292
T61 Casey, Riley Tuscola, TX 69 75 75 73 292
T63 Gilkison, Josh Springboro, OH 72 72 76 73 293
T63 Hathcoat, Blake Fresno, CA 72 72 72 77 293
T63 Fernandez, Ben Southlake, TX 72 70 75 76 293
T63 Vandette, Christopher Victoria, BC 69 74 76 74 293
67 Reichert, Ben Tampa, NY 69 72 81 77 299
————————————MISSED THE CUT————————————-
Burrows, Cody Chickasha, OK 72 73 145
Callens, Peyton Victoria, BC 75 70 145
Dunkle, Kyler Parker, CO 73 72 145
Hitchner, Derek Minn’polis, MN 73 72 145
Kinney, Tripp Ames, IA 70 75 145
Mishoe, James Cary, NC 72 73 145
Stevens, Sam Wichita, KS 70 75 145
Wick, Josh Columbus, OH 73 72 145
Cootes, Roy Rolling Hills, CA 75 70 145
Fendt, Jake Suwanee, GA 68 77 145
Furuya, Ryoto Iowa City, IA 73 72 145
Grenus, Evan Glastonbury, CT 70 75 145
Kozlowski, Jack Columbus, OH 72 73 145
Seiple, Josh Castle Rock, CO 73 72 145
Brereton, Darcy Melbourne, VIC 75 71 146
Hudson, Andrew Fort Worth, TX 69 77 146
Schlottman, Ben Advance, NC 74 72 146
Bergeron, Jacob Slidell, LA 71 75 146
Cox, Evan Ashland, KY 75 71 146
Flavin, Patrick Highwood, IL 74 72 146
Liston, Matt Louisville, KY 76 70 146
Nikitas, Charlie Glenview, IL 75 71 146
Ruiz, Luis Conway, SC 71 75 146
Solomon, Camden Dublin, OH 71 75 146
Cover, Patrick Cornelius, NC 74 73 147
Fredborg, Travis Selkirk, MB 74 73 147
Grayson, Elliott Shelby, NC 72 75 147
McInroe, Travis Plano, TX 74 73 147
Nome, Mason Houston, TX 75 72 147
Werbylo, Trevor Tucson, AZ 76 71 147
Cheung, Matthew Hong Kong, HK 70 77 147
Johnson, Kaleb Naples, FL 73 74 147
Lee, Henry Coquitlam, BC 74 73 147
Morgan, David Naples, FL 75 72 147
Wick, Justin Columbus, OH 74 73 147
Yeom, Chris S. Orange, NJ 74 73 147
Butler, Prescott Westbury, NY 74 74 148
Gliege, Josh Eagle, ID 76 72 148
James, Zach Whitesboro, TX 75 73 148
Johnson, Tyler Knoxville, TN 70 78 148
Kelley, Michael Westerville, OH 72 76 148
Lowe, Logan G. Valley, CA 73 75 148
Ohr, Brian Wheeling, IL 76 72 148
Sargent, Billy Tom G’town, KY 78 70 148
Suppa, Kyle Honolulu, HI 72 76 148
Walker, Andrew Holt, MI 73 75 148
Clark, James Fortson, GA 72 76 148
Sear, Maxwell Unionville, ON 72 76 148
Albin, Ben Santa Fe, NM 77 72 149
Longbella, Thomas Ch. Falls, WI 73 76 149
Michel, Lukas Warragul, VIC 70 79 149
Costello, Nicholas Austin, TX 74 75 149
Eklund, Jacob Carbondale, IL 71 78 149
Kettler, Max Southlake, TX 78 71 149
Reeves, Brad W’bridge, CA 75 74 149
Yakubov, Connor Columbus, OH 76 73 149
Johnson, Thomas Norman, OK 75 75 150
Mattiace, Michael Jacksonville, FL 75 75 150
Murlick, Matt Winnetka, IL 76 74 150
Lawson, Andrew Dallas, TX 75 75 150
Ramsey, Reese Austin, TX 75 75 150
Grabeman, Kevin Columbus, OH 74 77 151
Kendziorski, Austin G’town, WI 79 72 151
Swanson, Josh Austin, TX 77 74 151
Ishika, Koichiro Tempe, AZ 78 73 151
Organisak, Matt Sudbury, MA 74 77 151
Tolan, Matt Eau Claire, WI 70 81 151
Paxton, Easton Riverton, WY 76 76 152
Woolsey, Noah Pleasanton, CA 75 77 152
Luger, Thomas Leawood, KS 75 77 152
Woon, U Minn Jacksonville, FL 79 73 152
Tracy, Zach Houston, TX 76 79 155
Connolly, Daniel San Fran, CA 77 78 155
Wood, Adam Zionsville, IN 77 79 156
Yakubov, Evan Columbus, OH 76 83 159
Elliott, Matt Columbus, OH 81 80 161
Byrd, Marcus M’boro, TN 74 WD WD
