J.J. Spaun produced a fantastic display in the final round of the FedEx St Jude Championship, but ultimately fell short to Justin Rose.
Spaun received praise from Rose after their playoff in Memphis, Tennessee, where the latter beat the former after three holes.
The duo had both finished the St Jude Championship on 16-under, with Spaun forcing a playoff thanks to his final round five-under 65.
Spaun highlighted his ‘freeing mentality’ after the tournament, where success would have represented his second PGA Tour win of the season.
He won the US Open at Oakmont in June, with Spaun now turning his attention to the BMW Championship in Maryland.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesJ.J. Spaun praised for having the same skill as prime Tiger Woods
But high praise has gone his way in the aftermath of his latest display, with Rex Hoggard mentioning Spaun in the same breath as Tiger Woods.
He said on the Golf Channel Podcast with Rex & Lav: “He was outside the top 90 for the FedEx Cup points at this point last year. He was second-guessing his life choices, what am I going to do? This does not seem to be working out.
“It was not until late in the Fall he was able to secure his playing privileges for this year. It is interesting to see how that has turned so dramatically for him.
READ MORE: Justin Rose delivers his reaction to fans chanting USA at him during the playoff against J.J. Spaun
“During the height of Tiger Woods’ career, I always work hard to come up with a way to quantify this, the one thing that impressed me the most was his ability to understand clutch putting.
“He did not make every putt but he made every putt that he needed to. And I will say the same thing about JJ Spaun. He does not make every putt but it seems like he is so good when it comes to the moment.
“You go back to the 72nd at the US Open at Oakmont. He didn’t need to make that putt but it made for a dramatic finish.
“You look at what he did today at TPC Southwind. That was understanding the moment and being in the heat of it against a really good field and opponent. All of those things are very impressive. And to go from zero to where he is this year is impressive.”
J.J. Spaun’s 2025 PGA Tour putting stats
Spaun did indeed miss a seven-footer in his playoff defeat to Rose, lamenting a misreading of the green and the pulling of his putt as the reasons.
But he can undoubtedly hold his head high after another superb display, one that continues his stunning season so far.
StatValueRankSG: Putting0.16859Total Putting130.335Putting Average1.74347Overall Putting Average1.60994Birdie or Better Conversion Percentage31.70%75Putts Per Round28.9694One-Putt Percentage39.19%113Longest Putts64′ 5413-Putt Avoidance2.15%28J.J. Spaun 2025 PGA Tour putting stats (PGA Tour website)
And as Hoggard alluded to, Spaun is by no means an expert putter, but he has come up trumps time and again when it really matters on the greens.
That was typified at the US Open, where the American drained a 64-foot birdie putt to clinch the trophy in unforgettable fashion.
It represents his only major championship win and just his third career win, although many more are likely to follow in the near future.
The FedEx Cup playoffs now head to Caves Valley Golf Club for the BMW Championship, where the top 50 players from Memphis are in the field.
