Stephan Jaeger started the Web.com Tour's Ellie Mae Classic with a record 12-under-par 58 in the first round and ended it Sunday at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, Calif., with a victorious four-day total of 30-under 250.
Jaeger's 72-hole total shattered the tour stroke record of 255 set by Steve Wheatcroft in the 2011 Melwood Prince George's County Open and matched the best score in history related to par set by Daniel Chopra in the 2004 Henrico Open. The 58 on Thursday equaled the low round on a major professional tour.
The 27-year-old German also set record with his 36- and 54-hole scores. He followed his opening 58 with rounds of 65, 64 and a closing 63 for a seven-stroke win over Rhein Gibson, who finished with a 62 on Sunday.
"I don't know what to say really, I'm speechless," Jaeger said. "I played good today and all week really. It was a phenomenal week for me."
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Jaeger, who was a three-time Southern Conference player of the year for Tennessee-Chattanooga, made $108,000 in claiming his first tour victory. He leaped from 102nd to 20th on the Web.com money list.
"I obviously don't expect that ever," Jaeger said of the opening 58. "Starting out the week like that, you kind of want to wonder is it your week? But yeah, it's a great feeling to stand here and talk about it. Hopefully, we'll do it many more times."
Jaeger continued his sizzling play Sunday with birdies on five of the first nine holes. He added birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 and finished by missing a 15-foot birdie attempt on 18.
Brandon Hagy (64) and Xander Schauffele (65) tied for third at 21 under. Schauffele was 6 under on his first six holes in the final round to close within four shots of Jaeger.
"I stayed in the moment today, which was hard because Xander came off with that hot start," Jaeger said. "It's tough to just realize that it's just a couple holes, but he came out firing. I played pretty good, and I was a couple back after five or six holes.
"It was a great battle in the beginning, and he kind of let off in the end, and I could kind of cruise in on the back nine, which is nice. But it was absolutely amazing."
