JJ Spaun has enjoyed an interesting and impressive professional career so far, and is a PGA Tour regular nowadays. But there's more to the American than just what he has achieved on the course, though. Here are a number of things you may not know about the Californian.
JJ SPAUN FACTS
1. John Michael Spaun Jr (a.k.a. JJ Spaun) was born on August 21, 1990 in Los Angeles, California.
2. He took up golf at a young age thanks to his parents. Indeed, his mum, Dollie, played while she was pregnant with him.
3. He attended San Diego State University, where he earned Mountain West Conference (WAC) Player of the Year honors in 2012.
4. He turned professional that year, initially playing on the PGA Tour Canada.
5. He finished T8th in his maiden world ranking event – at the 2013 Times Colonist Island Savings Open.
6. Spaun’s first PGA Tour Canada win came in the 2015 Staal Foundation Open.
7. That helped him break the record for PGA Tour Canada single-season earnings – he topped the 2015 Order of Merit with earnings of $91,193 CAD.
8. Spaun’s maiden Major appearance came in 2018 at the PGA Championship, where he finished tied for 35th..
9. He joined the Web.com Tour in 2016 (now the Korn Ferry Tour), and claimed his first victory on it in that year’s News Sentinel Open.
10. That handed him playing privileges for the 2016/17 PGA Tour season, but he had to wait for his maiden victory on the circuit. Finally, in his 147th start, he managed it by beating Matt Jones and Matt Kuchar at the 2022 Valero Texas Open.
11. That came a week before The Masters, and the win ensured he claimed the final spot for a maiden Augusta National appearance. He took advantage of the chance, too, claiming his best finish at a Major so far – T23rd.
12. Spaun was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes in 2018, but it was a misdiagnosis – he actually had Type 1 diabetes. He is a supporter of diabetes research.
13. Spaun has Filipino roots on his mother’s side.
14. He is a big fan of baseball team Los Angeles Dodgers.
15. He is a season pass holder at Disneyland.
16. Spaun is married to Melody. The pair have two children called Emerson Lili and Violet Windsor.
17. Spaun lost out in a playoff to Rory McIlroy at the 2025 Players Championship. The American led after 54 holes but carded a level-par final round to force the three-hole aggregate playoff. Due to bad light, the playoff did not take place until Monday morning, and Spaun struggled in the restart to finish second.
18. He has a passion for BMW cars and has owned multiple throughout his life.
JJ SPAUN BIO
Born |
August 21, 1990 - Los Angeles, California |
Height |
5ft9in (1.75m) |
College |
San Diego State University |
Turned Pro |
2012 |
Former Tours |
Gateway Tour, PGA Tour Canada, Korn Ferry Tour |
Current Tour |
PGA Tour |
Pro Wins |
4 |
Highest OWGR |
25th |
Best Major Finish |
T23rd (2022 Masters) |
JJ SPAUN PROFESSIONAL WINS
Tour |
Event |
Winning Score |
|---|---|---|
Gateway Tour |
2013 National Series 7 |
N/A |
PGA Tour Canada |
2015 Staal Foundation Open |
-18 (one shot) |
Web.com Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) |
2016 News Sentinel Open |
-26 (one shot) |
PGA Tour |
2022 Valero Texas Open |
-13 (two shots) |
JJ SPAUN PGA TOUR EARNINGS
Year |
Earnings |
2016/17 |
$1,142,911 |
2017/18 |
$3,121,816 |
2018/19 |
$4,327,794 |
2019/20 |
$4,560,266 |
2020/21 |
$4,980,018 |
2021/22 |
$7,931,170 |
2022/23 |
$10,991,949 |
2024 |
$12,637,696 |
