The golf world saw a grand end to the Q-School presented by the Korn Ferry Tour on Monday. And, Hayden Springer was able to finish the competition on a good note while securing his PGA Tour status. However, the happy occasion could only be experienced with a tinge of sadness owing to what had happened with his daughter.
While Springer made some great progress in his professional career, the young golfer met with a heartbreaking tragedy with the passing of his daughter in the month of November. As the 26-year-old worked relentlessly to earn his tour card, his mind was filled with the memories of his beloved 3-year-old daughter.
The tragedy that struck Hayden Springer’s family
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When Emma, Springer’s wife, was five months pregnant with their daughter Sage Springer, the soon-to-be-born baby was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. Although more than half of the babies with the genetic disorder do not survive birth, those who do are not expected to live more than two weeks. However, Sage, who was born in October 2020, managed to do so, all the while bringing a smile to her parents’s faces.
But, as fate would have it, the happiness was short-lived as the young girl passed away on November 13. And, as the 26-year-old athlete geared up to duke it out at Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida, he did so “with a heavy heart” in memory of his beloved daughter who fought the hard battle.
However, the golfer was able to finish in the top five and ties, all the while managing to secure “his tour card.” Moreover, in a video posted by the official handles of the KFT and PGAT, the pro was spotted spending the “surreal” moment with his family, including his wife and second daughter Annie, along with his friends who helped him “persevere for Sage.”
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A truly inspiring story, one can say! Well, after what he and his family went through coupled with the amount of hard work he put in despite the unfortunate situation, Springer does deserve the win.
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The inspiring story of Hayden and Sage Springer
The golfer did not shy away from the challenge despite suffering from a tragedy in his life and he went ahead to finish tied for 4th along with Raul Pereda. Moreover, he was able to do so by registering a score of 8-under 272 over the four days of play, grabbing one of the five PGA Tour cards that were put up for the field.
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And, as the pro duked it out on the course, his mind couldn’t help but wander off to thoughts about his precious daughter who passed away. “I thought of her a handful of times,” recounted the 26-year-old, “But it’s happy thoughts. It’s kind of one of those things that I think about her, and I just think about her smile.” Well, Sage Springer can rest easy now since her father’s thoughts about her are what pushed him through the pressure of the game. A sad, yet happy moment for the golfer!
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