He took four birdies in his final holes – plus a devastating one Collapse of 18 holes from his last challenger – but JJ Spaun emerged victorious at Wentworth in his first BMW PGA Championship.
Spaun all week devastated about the opportunity to play in England, at the flagship event of the DP World Tour, on a top-class golf course in front of a massive crowd. Spaun and his family frequent the UK on pre-Christmas holidays, he added, but apart from the Open Championship he hasn’t played many golf tournaments there.
Then came this week.
“The stars were aligned this week for me to come out on top, and I’m just grateful to have the opportunity to play and play well and give it a shot and come out with a W,” he said.
Those stars lining up include Spaun coming off the disappointing end of a Presidents Cup decision by US captain Brandt Snedeker, who left Spaun off the team after a lackluster season finish plus an injury WD at the Tour Championship. However, Spaun – who had finished 10th on the points list and also played well at last autumn’s Ryder Cup – admitted his omission came as a surprise. And when it came time to tee up this week, he drew on that as fuel.
“We haven’t talked,” Spaun said of Snedeker, asked if the win had sent a message. “But yeah, I played with a huge chip on my shoulder. I definitely had something to prove this week. But everything happens for a reason. I’m so happy to be here and also to play this event.
“I always wanted to play for the longest time. The extra motivation, I think is the willpower you have. And being left out of the Presidents Cup team a couple of weeks ago was very disappointing, and I wanted to prove that I deserve to be in that team. I took care of my business this week. So all the best to the team next week in Medinah, and I’ll be watching.”
Spaun represents the US overseas instead; he became only the third American to win the BMW PGA after Arnold Palmer and Billy Horschel.
Interestingly, this marks the third consecutive season that the BMW PGA has been won by a player who had missed out on a major team spot. In 2025, Alex Noren’s victory was a reminder of how close he was to playing on Europe’s Ryder Cup team. And in 2024 Billy Horschel won the week before the United States played the Presidents’ Cup in Montreal, where he had not made the team.
It’s a consolation prize for Spaun.
“It means so much. You know, I’ve blossomed into this player that I never thought I could be,” he said.
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