“I’m happy with the swing I put on it. I executed how I wanted to,” J.J. Spaun said, defending his 8-iron on the par-3 17th at THE PLAYERS. Despite criticism that he clubbed up following Rory McIlroy‘s 9-iron into the wind, Spaun stood by his decision. “You don’t know sh*t,” he added with a laugh. “I was one down, I had to hit a good shot.” Spaun’s shot didn’t quite work out as planned, and McIlroy went on to win the tournament in a playoff. But three months later, it turns out that the heartbreaking loss is ultimately a motivating factor at the US Open.
Spaun’s newfound confidence was on full display as he carded a bogey-free 4-under-par 66 at Oakmont to lead the field, despite his health setback. Speaking at the post-round interview, the PGA Tour player reflected on the turning point in his career — forcing a playoff against Rory McIlroy at THE PLAYERS. “It wasn’t like I faked it,” he said, “but to do that at THE PLAYERS, a course where I’d never done well historically, and to go head-to-head with Rory on Sunday, and then the playoff was great for my confidence.”
The three-hole playoff saw Spaun fall just short by three strokes as McIlroy emerged victorious. McIlroy carded a birdie on the first hole of the playoff and ultimately outlasted Spaun to claim his second PLAYERS title. That experience gave him the self-belief he needed to perform on the biggest stages and handle the pressure.
As he noted, “The more you put yourself there, the better you’re going to have results and the better you’re going to play, eventually turn one of those close calls into a win.” His 4-under-par 66 score equaled the lowest opening round at Oakmont in the 10 times the course has hosted the U.S. Open.
“It definitely makes me feel good, makes me feel confident that I’m leading the tournament,” he said, though he’s aware that there’s still a long way to go. With the course getting tougher, he’s adopting a nothing-to-lose attitude, just like he did at THE PLAYERS. “I’m trying to feel like I have nothing to lose,” he said, “so I’m going to roll with that again this week, and hopefully it’ll turn out more in my favor.”
via Imago
With just 26 putts in the round, Spaun’s putting s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s are clearly on point, but are they enough to shake McIlroy’s confidence?
Rory McIlroy says Oakmont is ‘certainly playable’ but his score so far disagrees
During the practice round at the Oakmont Country Club, Rory McIlroy had a bit of a wake-up call — the course is a beast! He shot a whopping 81 last Monday, but managed to sneak in two birdies on the last two holes to salvage some pride. “It felt pretty good, it didn’t feel like I played that bad,” he said with a shrug. McIlroy described Oakmont as a “big brute of a golf course” that felt “impossible” with pins in dicey positions and greens running at a scorching 15 and a half. He’s no stranger to the course’s demands, having missed the cut in 2016, and a particularly rough practice round on June 2 left him 11-over.
Despite his struggles, McIlroy found the course more “benign” on Tuesday, saying, “If you put it on the fairway, it’s certainly playable.” But let’s be real, his current score of +4 after 18 holes doesn’t exactly scream “playable” – he’s tied with Tommy Fleetwood and Hideki Matsuyama for 85th place. McIlroy’s been struggling with his driver lately, and his nightmarish week at the Canadian Open didn’t exactly set him up for success. So do you think Spaun will get the last laugh at the 2025 US Open? Let us know in the comment section below!
