JJ Spaun had one dream season in 2025. But for the first few months of his subsequent campaign, things looked more like a nightmare.
Through seven starts entering this week, Spaun had made just three cuts, with a T24 finish standing as his high point. His stroke-gain metrics had dropped across the board, and his putting was so poor that he ranked among the worst 10 on Tour.
IN TPC San Antonionone of that mattered.
Spaun, playing this week as a final tune-up before the Masters, shot a final-round 67 to win the Valero Texas Open by one stroke over Matt Wallace, Michael Kim and Robert MacIntyre. The victory marked Spau’s second at the Texas Open (he also won in 2022) and the third of his PGA Tour career.
“I haven’t been in the shape I wanted based on last season,” Spaun said. “It means a lot to come back and win here in a place that has been very good to me.”
Returning to a course filled with positive memories proved to be the spark he needed. At The Players, Spaun recorded his best finish of the season to that point with a T24. He missed the cut the following week at Valspar, but a return to the familiar surroundings of the Texas Hill Country seemed to bring something out of him.
After opening rounds of 69, Spaun grew over the weekend in wet conditions. With play suspended midway through his third round on Saturday, he returned early Sunday morning to finish with a six-under 66, putting himself firmly in contention. When the final round began, he kept the momentum rolling, carding four birdies and an eagle en route to a five-under 67 to take the clubhouse lead. When none of the contenders on the course could find him, the burden of his nightmare start had finally been lifted.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself at the beginning of the year and a lot of expectations,” Spaun said. “It’s the complete opposite of the mantra I had all last year that really helped me, so I tried to get back to that. I went into the last few weeks starting at The Players just trying to loosen up and put less pressure on myself. It’s been trying, but sticking to that mantra has really helped me.”
With the win, Spaun earns a pair of custom cowboy boots and a $1.76 million payday. More importantly, he goes to Augusta for the Masters in his best form of the season – and you can’t put a price on that.
