JJ Spaun was the subject of a playful dig from a fellow PGA Tour star in the aftermath of his fairytale US Open triumph. Spaun has been the hottest ticket in golf since getting his major account up and running with a gritty performance at Oakmont Country Club, where he was the only player to finish under par at one of the toughest courses around.
The 34-year-old broke down in tears after sinking a monster putt to seal the title, having been nowhere near the bookmakers’ favourites at the start of the week. He has gone on a mini media tour to celebrate his victory, and the US Open’s official X account posted photos of Spaun landing in New York for an NBC talk-show appearance on Tuesday.
Michael Kim, who made the cut but finished a distant 50th at Oakmont, took that as his cue to poke fun at Spaun over missing a compulsory players’ meeting in the wake of the tournament.
Responding to the US Open’s picture post, Kim wrote: “I thought the player meeting was MANDATORY for all players in the field. Guy wins one major and starts breaking rules”.
Although the comments sparked backlash from many casual golf fans, there is not believed to be any ill feeling between the two players – even if Kim may wish he pushed his rival a little bit closer in the season’s third major.
The South Korean-born star has not won on the PGA Tour since 2018, and Spaun’s career has gathered momentum in the meantime. The newly-crowned US Open champion was on the verge of losing his PGA Tour status last summer, which made his unexpected win even more satisfying.
“Last year, in June, I was looking like I was going to lose my job,” Spaun explained. “That was when I had that moment where [I thought], ‘if this is how I go out, I might as well go down swinging’. That’s kind of the mantra I’ve been having all year.”
Spaun has put together an impressive run of results this year, with a tie for third at the Sony Open followed by a tie for second at the Cognizant Classic and a play-off defeat to Rory McIlroy at The Players.
“I’ve been consistently right there,” said the American. “Everyone knows that the more you put yourself there, the better results you’re going to have and the better you’re going to play, then eventually turn one of those close calls into a win.”
