Life as U.S. Open champ was an adjustment for J.J. Spaun. He figured it out by winning the Texas Open again
The last time we saw J.J. Spaun win a tournament, he drove the green on the par-4 17th hole to make a critical birdie and climb atop a crowded leaderboard. On Sunday at the Valero Texas Open, you only had to change one word in the script: he drove the green on the par-4 17th hole to make a critical eagle and climb atop a crowded leaderboard. And while the drive at Oakmont that led to winning the U.S. Open will always be more famous, his closing stretch at TPC San Antonio, through 20 mph wind and rain, goes down as one of the best closing stretches we've seen this year. It's Spaun's third PGA Tour victory, and his second at the Texas Open.It also broke at least one heartthat of Matt Wallace, who could only make the Masters with a win, and had a realistic shot when his 68 gave him the clubhouse lead for nearly 90 minutes at 16 under. But it was consecutive 2s from Spaun on 16 and 17, the former after a 199-yard tee shot to three feet, that shut the door on Wallace's dreams.After those fireworks, though, Spaun still had a few obstacles to dodge. The first came in his own game, when he had to make par on the incredibly challenging par-5 18th, whichconsidering the windwas playing to the equivalent of 670 yards at times. Spaun managed to get greenside in three shots, and was helped considerably by the ability to lift, clean, and place his ball. His downhill chip came to rest beside the hole, and the first job was done. He finished at 17 under, and his 67 was the best round of the final round.But because he finished so early, he had to watch nervously as a parade of players threatened to equal his score. Michael Kim had the first shot, but his approach on 18 found the bunker, and he narrowly missed holing out for birdie. Andrew Putnam came next, making birdie on 17 and needing the same on 18, but he found the same bunker Kim found on his third, and unlike Kim, his shot from the sand never reached the green.Finally, just when he seemed totally lost, 54-hole leader Robert MacIntyre closed with a flourish, making birdie on 15 and eagle on 17 to fight his way to a shot behind Spaun. Once again, though, 18 put up an ironclad defense, and when MacIntyre hooked his second shot to the far right, his chances were hurtdespite a generous TIO ruling keeping Spaun on tenterhooks while he stayed warm on the range. MacIntyre missed the ensuing 30-foot putt, and Spaun was the champion.The fact that Spaun hadn't won in 2026 wasn't as remarkable as how poorly he played after the year of his life. Coming into San Antonio, he'd missed four of seven cuts and hadn't done better than his T-24 at the Players. As Golf Digest's Dave Shedloski wrote from Pebble Beach, he spent a long time figuring out how to handle the changes and expectations that come from being a major champion.Dylan Buell"This game is so crazy," Spaun said after his win. "There's just so much that comes with winning such big events like [the U.S. Open], but I put a lot of pressure on myself this year to start the year and had a lot of expectations. It's just the complete opposite of the mantra I had last year that really helped me, so I tried to get back to that, and went into the last few weeks starting at the Players just kinda trying to be freed up and put less pressure on myself. It's been trying, but sticking to that mantra has really helped me."One major improvement in Spaun's game came with his iron play, where he finished the week second in the field to Ryo Hisatsune, a number far more like his top-five finish in that category in 2025 than he had compiled thus far in 2026. But it was his putting that saw the biggest leaphe came in 159th on tour, not far from dead last, but gained almost four strokes on the field in Texas. (He also showcased once again his unique ability to bury clutch putts with the 10-footer for eagle on 17.)"I'm just trying to take each day as it comes and accept what I have," he said. "I've got such a great team behind me that's been supporting me, and it just means a lot to come back here and win at a place that's meant so much to me."Part of that team is his caddie Mark Carens, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday, and got a "happy birthday" from Spaun the moment MacIntyre's birdie try on 18 failed to fall. That, and a nice check, will make a fine gift, and Spaun's present will be heading to Augusta National next week with a head of steam. His vanishing act in early 2026 was brief, and now it's over, and one thing we know about Spaun is that he's reliably clutch under the highest pressure. With the Masters looming, who knows? This could be a case of terrific timing.
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